


21

by defying3reason



Series: Pavement Cracks 'verse [4]
Category: The Flash (Comics)
Genre: Break Up, Canonical Character Death, Homophobia, M/M, Mental Health Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-29
Updated: 2015-01-30
Packaged: 2018-03-09 13:29:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 30,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3251522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/defying3reason/pseuds/defying3reason
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the Crisis, Hartley Rathaway is released from the Breedmore Mental Hospital and returns to Central City to find his life in shambles. He moves to New York with the Weather Wizard to try to start over. Meanwhile, the Trickster is running from his problems in California.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and welcome to the next installment of the Pavement Cracks Universe. In theory you could read this as a stand-alone fic, since I follow canon closely enough for the story structure to be apparent, but it might not work out so well if you're unfamiliar with 80s Flash comics. Plus by this point in the series I've made the characters enough of my own that you might need LML and PC to understand their development.

Hartley realized he was still wearing the medical bracelet from the hospital during the cab ride back to his apartment. He made a mental note to cut it off as soon as he got home.

He wasn't quite sure what to expect when he got there. He'd been in the hospital for almost six months and his boyfriend/roommate had stopped visiting him after two of those months. Which was worrying. James was almost dependently devoted to Hartley, but then Hartley had also been in rough shape. He could see how James might not want to be around much. It had to have been difficult for him. Which hurt, but he could understand that.

Hartley went upstairs, unlocked the door, and blinked a few times to make sure he was seeing things right. Then he took a few deep breaths, went into the bathroom, and threw up.

"Stop shaking," Hartley snapped at himself. Much to his annoyance, his hands and knees disobeyed him. "Dammit." He wiped his mouth on the back of his hand, then staggered to the sink to rinse it out. 'Just because…it _looks_ like it did when Earl got grabbed by the mob, it doesn't mean…'

Oh hell. They had different styles, but when it came down to basics James really wasn't that much more stable than Earl. He was impulsive enough to get into serious trouble.

And it looked like someone had attacked the apartment. All kinds of furnishings and knick knacks were missing and there were clothes and things strewn about everywhere (which was very much _not_ like James, who was a bit of a neat freak). What furniture was left in the place had been shifted around and knocked over. It wasn't quite as bad as when Earl had pissed off the mob, but someone had clearly left the place in a hurry.

Hartley went into the kitchen, dug around in the junk drawer until he found something pointy (he really needed the friggin' medical bracelet off his wrist), and then found his phone book. He'd forgotten some important little things, like phone numbers, as a result of his medication. It was all kinds of frustrating to feel the details itching at the edge of his memory, but still not be able to dispel the lingering fuzziness that would let him remember everything. As soon as he felt more stable he was so weaning himself off the damn happy pills.

His hands were still shaking a bit when he made his phone call.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"Len? It's P-Ha…uh, Hartley. Hi. Sorry, the doctors think it'd be best if I used my real name for awhile."

"Oh hey, kid. They finally let you out of the loony bin?" Len asked.

"Yep. I'm officially sane. You know, as long as I stay on my meds and check in for regular therapy."

"Good for you. You, uh…giving up crime? It's just, uh, running around with us would probably be considered falling off the wagon, and y'know, you should probably listen to the docs until you're actually feeling better. But after that, we'd love to have you back. You wouldn't believe the shit I've been putting up with since-"

"I'm sorry Len, but I have something a little pressing to ask you about."

"Shoot."

"Um…did something ha-happen to James? It's just…he stopped visiting me at the hospital, and I just got back to our apartment and it looks…" Like a crime scene. "It looks like something bad happened." Len was silent for a little too long to be okay. "Len? Please answer me. I, I'm still not handling stress as well as I could be-"

"Last I heard from Jesse he was out in California. He…didn't tell you, huh?"

"N-no. He's okay though?"

"Yeah. Yeah, heard he went legit and got a job with a movie studio or something."

"Oh. Well that's nice." Hartley hung up the phone in the middle of some well-intentioned comforting drabble Len was saying. He sat down at the kitchen table with his head in his hands and took a few deep breaths.

All of the missing things were James'. He'd noticed the chaotic mess, but the significant details hadn't really penetrated. Then he saw the envelope next to his elbow. Frantically, he ripped it open and pulled out the letter.

> _Hey Pookie,_
> 
> _So what I'm doing here is a very cowardly thing and I fully acknowledge that. But I've never once tried to trick you into thinking I was a good person. I like to think I've always been pretty up front about it, actually. You're the angel, not me._
> 
> _By the time you get this (if you're ever clear enough to read again. Frankly I don't think much of the damn hospital you're locked away at) you'll notice I'm gone. I'm sorry, but I just wasn't strong enough to watch you fall apart like that. I tried. I swear I tried. I wanted to support you so bad, but you needed way more of me than I could give._
> 
> _Hope you feel better soon._
> 
> _xxx James_

Oh. So James hadn't just stopped visiting. He'd dumped Hartley while he was too drugged up to know the difference _._

Hartley slowly walked around his messy apartment, lazily glancing from empty surface to empty surface, where he was used to seeing clutter in the form of yo-yos, picture frames, and sets of cartoons. He sat down on the couch and took a few more deep breaths, which were getting increasingly shallow, until finally he was a sobbing mess.

There was no damn point in getting sane and leaving the hospital without James. Hartley still didn't have a family, his reputation as a criminal had been ruined, he had no skills, no friends, no _life,_ really. Even if he did become a criminal again, according to the news his arch nemesis was dead. What the hell was the point?

Then his front door was kicked open. Hartley jumped to his feet and wildly looked around the room for some kind of weapon (he hadn't had a pipe on him in months), but suddenly firm hands were shaking his shoulders and he found himself staring into concerned blue eyes.

"Piper, you okay? C'mon, say something."

"Losing your marbles didn't make you suicidal, right? You're okay, right?"

"M-Mick?" Hartley blinked a few times, and then lightly shifted out of Mick's grasp. Mark was standing just behind him and they both looked worried. They were mostly in street clothes, but Mick was wearing the pants of his flame retardant suit with the goggles around his neck and Mark had on the baggy Weather Wizard shirt. It was a good guess they'd left in a hurry.

Hartley swallowed. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Len called and told us to check up on you. He made it sound like you were, uh…gonna hurt yourself," Mick explained.

"Because of Trickster," Mark added. Mick winced.

"You alright, Hartley?"

Hartley attempted a reassuring smile. "I've been dumped before. I'm not going to kill myself."

"Yeah, but you just got out of the hospital," Mark pointed out.

"I swear, I'm o-"

"Len told us not to leave you alone."

Hartley closed his eyes and counted to three. "I was _released_ from the hospital partly because the doctors decided I was no longer a danger to myself or society."

"Yeah, well from what Digger and Sam said those doctors were twits," Mark snapped. "And you're the Pied Piper. You're plenty dangerous to society."

"C'mon Hartley, you don't wanna hang around your trashed apartment all by yourself your first night outta the nut house. Come by the hideout with us and play cards or something. We can ditch out on our heist until next week. The security won't change that much."

"I'm supposed to avoid costumes for awhile, actually. Doctor’s orders," Hartley said, feeling a touch uncomfortable. He'd actually been advised against associating with any of the Rogues, which he hadn't anticipated being a problem (well, other than his boyfriend), because he hadn't realized the other men thought of him as a friend. They always bitched about his interests, called him a nag…he'd kind of assumed they just wanted him to help watch their backs during heists.

"I suppose that makes sense. Alright Piper, so what if none of us wear our costumes? Could that still trigger a relapse?" Mark asked.

Hartley started, not expecting the concern. "I, um, I guess that would be okay."

"Good. So you can come with us, and then Len can calm down when he sees no one is slitting their wrists tonight. I'll head back to the hideout and tell the guys to put on civilian clothes. Meet you guys there?"

"Yeah, Mark. See you later," Mick said with a nod. "So Hartley, you want a little help cleaning this place up before we leave?" It probably would be nice to have company so he wouldn't brood too much over James.

"I guess. Um." He waited for Mark to leave, which took a few minutes what with the door having been kicked in. It was a little awkward shutting it. "Did something…happen while I was in the hospital? It's just…you guys are acting awfully concerned."

"Did anyone tell you Sam died?"

"He…no. I'd heard about Flash, but…Sam?"

"Yeah, during the Crisis. And Flash being dead has everyone a little off center too." Mick shrugged. "So yeah, when Len called us he did say you were probably fine, but we didn't want to take any chances. So what I'm about to say, I want you to know I mean this. If you need help, don't hesitate, just tell us. No more Rogues are gonna die. You got that?"

"Mick, I'm not sure if I can be a Rogue anymore-"

"There's no Flash anymore, Hartley. There might not be any Rogues anymore period, but that's not the point. We were always a little more social than the guys in the other cities. We watched each other's backs, broke each other outta jail when we needed to. I don't think we should stop looking out for each other just because we're not robbing banks together anymore. And neither does Len."

Of course not. The Rogues were really all Len had. Well, the Rogues and a mentally unbalanced sister. Hm. A subject change might break some tension.

"Speaking of Len, how's his sister taking Flash's death?"

Mick smirked. "She's been vandalizing the Flash Museum twice a week since it happened. Destroyed three memorial statues and scared the ever living shit out of every candle light vigil attendant she could."

"So she's keeping busy? That's nice."

Mick laughed. He looked up when he realized Hartley had stopped stuffing garbage into a trash bag. "Hartley? You okay?"

"Just…thinking. I hadn't realized any of you were actually concerned about me."

"Digger and Sam tried to bust you outta the hospital but you wouldn't go with them."

"Huh. I came back here thinking James would be…and then I was alone." Hartley started cleaning again with his head down. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it. Like I said, Len thinks the Rogues should try to stick together."

"Mm. Sounds like a plan."

* * *

 

It was brighter than James would have liked. He rolled over and pulled a pillow over his head, but he couldn't fall back asleep. There was some uneasy feeling crawling over his skin, almost like he was being watched. He tossed the pillow aside, opened his eyes, and let out a yelp when he saw the wide brown eyes staring back at him.

"Ah!" Yelped Billy, jumping backwards and landing loudly on the floor.

"Holy cow, kid!" James gasped. He'd trained himself to stop swearing in front of the preschooler after some encouragement whacks from the kid's mom. "What was that about?"

"I didn't mean to scare you, Mr. Jesse," Billy mumbled apologetically. "I was just making sure you were still there. M-mom said you'd be leaving soon, so I thought I'd check that it was still you sleeping on the couch."

"Yeah, it's me." James sat up and stretched. "I'm moving to my own place next week, so I'll still be on the couch for a few more days."

"Oh. Okay. Why are you leaving? I liked having you here." Billy climbed onto the couch and sat next to James, folding his hands in his lap and swinging his feet off the couch.

James smiled. "I like being here." Which was true. Living with Mindy and her super intelligent, ridiculously polite, handsome little guy was wonderful. He had to wonder what idiot of an ex-boyfriend Mindy had had, to get her pregnant with a perfect little super baby and walk away from that. But Mindy hadn't said anything about Billy's father and James figured it would be in poor taste to pry it out of her when he was a guest.

"If you like being here then why are you leaving? My mom likes you. You could stay."

"Billy, I was only ever planning on being here for a little while anyway. And I'm not moving far. It's just time for me to get my own place."

"Oh. Can I come and visit when you do?"

"Course you can. I'll see if I can steal you for a sleepover, and I'll show you all the video games I've got in storage, and we can make a fort in the living room and have all the really sugary food your mom won't let me buy. Sound good?"

Billy nodded eagerly. "You need to hurry up and move out so we can do that. That sounds like fun!" He jumped up and gave James a hug. "I've gotta go across the street to Mrs. Seger's house so she can drive me to preschool. Bye, Mr. Jesse."

"Bye, Billy." James yawned, then pulled the blankets back up and closed his eyes.

"Oh don't even try it."

"Try what? I don't have any idea what you're talking about. I've been here sleeping like a baby all morning."

Mindy sat down on the couch, which also had her sitting on James' legs. "I heard that exchange with my son, and whereas I think it's great that you've bonded so well-"

"I'm as surprised as anyone." James snuggled into the pillow and wriggled his legs a little, trying to shake Mindy off of his 'bed'. "I don't normally get along that well with kids. And yes, I do see the irony, where I'm an overgrown one myself-"

" _If_ you take Billy for visits, and mind you that's a pretty big if right there, I want you to respect my rules. So that sugar him up and play video games until you completely ruin his eyesight plan…?"

"C'mon, acting like a kid from time to time isn't gonna kill him," James pouted.

Mindy frowned. "He…carries a burden you wouldn't understand. I know I have a lot of special rules for him, but it's with reason. Can you please respect that?"

James sat up on his elbow and eyed Mindy suspiciously. "Min, is there something I should know about Billy?"

"Well…" She chewed her lip, looking like she was about to cave. It wasn't the first time he'd seen that expression since he'd started crashing on his ex's couch.

"Is he a meta?" James guessed, since Mindy didn't seem any closer to telling him anything of substance on her own. "With some scary power he's gotta keep a leash on?"

Mindy nodded. "Yep. Tha-that's it James. He's…he's a meta. He's a magician and a channel. I don't think…I don't think he quite grasps the full significance of it yet though. I'm trying to…I want him to have as normal a childhood as he can."

"Okay, that's cool. Min, that's all you needed to tell me. I can't help you out if you don't keep me in the loop though, okay?" James shook her shoulder and laughed. "C'mon, you're too pretty to be frowning like that. Smile for me?"

She smiled exaggeratedly, let out a nervous laugh, and then started swinging her feet much like her son had been doing earlier. "How's that?"

"Much better. Look, I gotta be up for work soon and I was hoping to catch a little more sleep. I could skip the sleep and take you out for breakfast instead though…"

" _I_ actually was leaving for work myself, so I'm going to have decline that particularly tempting offer."

"Well if it's such a tempting offer we can make it dinner instead. You could find a sitter for Billy, and maybe we could catch a movie or go to one of those sophisticated places I used to like to rob…"

"Sorry James, still not interested in dating you again."

"Oh _c'mon_! Give me _one_ good reason-"

"I've already given you several _hundred_ , not the least of which being that you're still on the rebound from a girl you fled the state for and won't tell me a thing about."

James sighed. "Blunt as ever. Sometimes I wonder what it is I see in you."

"I'm beautiful, smart, and low maintenance?"

"Yeah, that'd be the stuff right there."

She leaned over and kissed his cheek, then got off the couch and started for the door. "James, if you'd just grow up a bit I might consider it. I am a mom now, you know."

"I grew up exactly as much as I needed to in order to function."

Mindy rolled her eyes. "Goodbye, Jamie."

"Bye. Have fun at work."

* * *

"So wait, did you all know I was dating James the whole time?" Hartley asked.

"Just about. You guys sucked at hiding it," Mick answered.

"You wore each other's clothes," Digger added.

"And always left everywhere together," Mick said. "I mean geeze, Hartley…"

He laughed. "I guess we were kind of obvious. He didn't want to tell anyone though. We were fighting about it kind of a lot."

Mark flopped backwards onto the couch and snagged a bag of chips off the orange crate coffee table. "So you're better off single. I guess there isn't much difference between gays and normal guys after all. Relationships suck either way."

"That's rather pessimistic. Granted, I do tend to spectacularly fail at romantic endeavors, but I'd like to think it's going to get better someday." Hartley sighed. "If I hadn't had that breakdown James and I would probably still be in a state of bliss."

"Yeah, but how good was it really if he ran off when things started getting hard?" Mick asked, scowling. "He's an interesting guy to have around, but at his core James really was kind of a douche. I mean seriously, how many times did he 'trick' one of us into dropping our loot so he could make off with it while we were getting pounded by the Flash?"

"All the friggin' time!" Digger yelled. "Oily, manipulative shit, that one. Never should have believed a damn thing he said."

"Guys, lay off," Mark hissed. The group collectively winced, taking in Hartley's dejected form. He was hugging himself with one arm, head down.

"He said such sweet things to me. I guess I should have known it wasn't real. You're right, Digger. James was a liar and a manipulator."

"Hartley, listen to yourself. You just said Digger was right about something," Mark pointed out. Digger whacked him so he whacked him back. "Look, Len said James really cared about you so he must have."

"Right, because Len said." Hartley rolled his eyes. After a pause in conversation he let out an exasperated sigh. "Is he lurking behind me?"

"Yep."

"Hi, Len."

"Hello, Hartley. Didja actually want to talk about this anymore?" Len asked, sitting down across from him.

"Um…not really, no."

"Thank God. I used up what little sensitivity I had just now," Mark said with exaggerated relief.

"That was painfully obvious," Mick said.

They stopped talking about 'feelings' and played cards for awhile, but Hartley had never really liked poker anyway, so he quickly excused himself and found a seat by the TV. He took out a flute and played just for the joy of it, something he hadn't done in quite some time.

Mark joined him after a few hands, obviously tipsy and probably broke, but in good spirits from the looks of it. "So ya think this is the end a'the Rogues, Hartley?"

Hartley shrugged. "Maybe. Most of us were in this more for hassling Flash than financial gain."

"Was all about hassling Flash. M'gonna go to a new city, start over. That's my plan."

"You're really just going to move on to a new nemesis?" Piper smirked. "Who did you have in mind for a rebound?"

"No, I don' wanna a, um, new nemesis. Just a change. I need a change. Gonna go to New York. The Capes there, the Teen Titans, man they don't even notice normal crime. If it isn't an alien or a super crazy cult or a conspiracy, they don' touch it. They jes want high profile cases so they c'n impress the Justice League. In New York you can still make a livin' robbing banks. It'll be great."

Hartley rolled his flute between his palms, thinking. A change of scenery would be nice…at the least he needed to get out of that damn apartment he and James had furnished together…it looked so _empty_ without his things. "Need a roommate?"

"…Yer not coming onta me, are you? Cuz I don't go that way…not even for pity sex."

"I'm not hitting on you, Mark."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Okay. Yeah, roommate would be great. Can we put the utilities in your name?"

"Oh yeah, my name's legit now, isn't it?" Hartley said, realizing the full implications of his release from the mental hospital. He was on probation now, not in violation of it.

He really _could_ start over.

"Yeah, we can keep everything in my name."

"Cool. Uh…can you do first, last, and security? Cuz I just lost it to Digger. I think he's cheating, but Len just said I suck at cards. He's cheating though."

"I can handle that, yeah. Do you actually have a place yet?"

"Uh…"

"I'll start looking tomorrow."

"Thanks, Piper. That sounds cool. Oh, sorry, Hartley. Hey, did you need rebound sex? Cuz I can ask around and see if I know any gay guys. I mean any _other_ gay guys. Y'know, I know you already."

It was a momentous effort to keep from laughing in Mark's well-intentioned face, but Hartley kept control of himself. "If I really wanted to, I have a neighbor that's been desperate to bang me for months. I'm all set."

"Okay. Cool, cuz, y'know, that's more involvement than I really wanna have with my roommate's business."

"Mark, I think you should lay down for awhile and sober up."

"Yeah, I think I should do that. Tell Digger not to do anything stupid with my money. M'gonna nap." He kicked off his shoes and stretched out on the couch. Hartley got up and walked back to the card table.

"Mark thinks you're cheating, Digger."

"Mark should know by now that when he starts to get buzzed he loses any semblance of a poker face," Len grunted. "By the by Hartley, James did love you. Speaking of bad poker faces, Rory, you really oughta fold."

"Fuck you Snart, I'm in."

Taken somewhat aback, Hartley went outside, sat on the steps, and thought.

* * *

The next day Hartley had two newspapers spread out before him. He'd circled apartment listings in both and now he sat between the two with his phone in his lap.

"All right. I'm making a fresh start. Now am I going to do it in New York or California?"

 


	2. Chapter 2

"Ow! God dammit!" Hartley hissed, rubbing his finger where he'd pinched it with the door hinge. He was trying to fix the front door of his apartment, which had been rendered unusable when Mick and Mark had made their emergency entrance earlier in the week. Now he was beginning to think getting the security deposit back on the apartment wasn't worth the hassle.

No, he'd come too far already. He'd managed to get the smell of sulfur and smoke out of the part of the living room James had declared to be his 'workshop,’ for one. That had taken hours of scrubbing and soaking and vacuuming.

All right, attempt two. Hartley picked up the screwdriver and went back to installing the new deadbolt, and went almost a whole five minutes without hurting himself. "Ouch! Fucking hell!"

"Is everything okay?" James-the-architect, Hartley's good natured neighbor from up the hall, asked as he peered over Piper's shoulder.

"Huh? Oh hi, James," Hartley said distantly. "Sorry for the noise. I've almost got this fixed."

"Would it help if I held the plate in place while you screwed?"

"Probably…thanks. How's Muffin doing?"

"Muffin?" James repeated, confused.

"Oh, sorry. That was your cat's name when his old owner had him."

"Oh. Yeah, I'm calling him Cuddles now. He's doing good. Very friendly, but the name kind of indicates that."

"Mm." Hartley finished installing the bolt easily with James holding it in place. He stood up to test it out. It took a little more effort to turn the bolt than it had before the door had been kicked in, but it all worked. Hartley sighed. "I really should have just expected to lose my security deposit when I let my spazz of an ex move in with me anyway."

"Ex? You and your boyfriend broke up?" James asked. "I'm so sorry-" His tone didn't _quite_ imply displeasure, but there was some sympathy there. "Are you okay?"

"No, but I'm working on it," Hartley admitted. He put on a weak smile. "And on the plus side you won't have to worry about annoying noisy neighbors anymore. James moved out while I was still in the hospital and I'm moving to New York. No more late night explosions or hearing us clambering in through the window."

James' face fell. "You're moving?"

"Well yeah. I…I just needed to start over. It's been a pretty serious break up. But um, I would still like to stay friends, if that's okay. You're pretty much the only friend I have that my therapist is okay with me talking to. God, that sounds terrible. I'm sorry. I probably shouldn't be having this conversation now."

"No, it's okay. Your ex told me about the, um, the supervillainy. Guess I should have noticed on my own, huh?"

"Oh. So you know?"

James nodded.

"And you…still want to be friends?" he asked, more than a little surprised. James shrugged.

"You're an interesting guy and I like you. So make sure you give me your phone number when you settle in. I want to come and visit you sometime. There are all kinds of great places to go see in New York. I'm sure it'd be fun." His smile looked a little pained, but Hartley wasn't cruel enough to press the issue.

"Sure. Of course." Hartley returned the smile with sincerity. James leaned in for a quick hug.

"In case I don't see you again before you leave. Bye Piper." He rushed off before Hartley could correct him about his name.

He stood in the hallway, overcome with an unsettling feeling of emptiness. Hartley felt as if he'd watched the awkward encounter rather than participating in it. And it looked like James had been about to cry, which he really didn't understand. He shook his head and went inside to start packing. "Stupid happy pills."

* * *

"This place has gotta be crawling with rats."

"Rats aren't so bad."

"Wow. You really just said that, didn't you?" Mark let out a melodramatic sigh. "Well I guess I didn't cart all my shit to New York just to cart it back to Central again. I call the bigger bedroom."

"Go nuts." Hartley set a box down on the kitchen counter. "I'm sorry, Mark. I know it's not a very good apartment. I just couldn't find much. This was the best apartment available from a landlord who didn't do a background check."

"Couldn't you have hypnotized someone into giving us a better place though? We're on the sixth floor and there's no elevator."

"I told you, until I'm sure I'm better I'm not committing any crimes."

"Right, but getting us a nice apartment isn't the same thing as robbing a bank," Mark snapped.

"It's wrong on principle."

Mark regarded him with obvious confusion. Hartley let out an exasperated sigh. "We may have a hard time living together."

"Eh. You lived with the Trickster. I've gotta be an easy going roommate in comparison to that hyperactive spazz. Oh shit, I shouldn't have said that, should I?"

"I-it's fine." Hartley's voice only shook a little when he spoke. "I'm going to head downstairs and get some more boxes."

"Yeah. Boxes are good."

The new roommates didn't chat much as they hauled their respective belongings up to their apartment. Mark deposited things as close to the front door as he was able, with the result that by the time they finished, their front hallway was effectively an obstacle course and the living room was cluttered beyond belief with all of their furnishings.

"Well that sucked. I'm gonna head out and check out our new neighborhood. See ya later, Hartley."

"Hey, wait, you don't expect me to unpack everything alone, do you?"

"Of course not. Just leave it for later."

Hartley let out yet another exasperated sigh and worked on shoving the pieces of their beds into the rooms by himself. He set his bed up in the bigger bedroom just to spite Mark.

Which turned out to be a mistake, because when Mark did return well into the night he only remembered calling the bigger room and didn't pay attention to anything else as he stumbled through the apartment. Hartley was passed out in bed in a state of exhaustion (what with having set up a new apartment mostly alone) and only woke up when Mark and a lady friend fell on top of him.

"Oof!"

"Whazza-huh?"

"Marky, what's going-"

"Get off of me! What the fuck is wrong with you people?"

"With us? Th'fuck are you doin' in my room, Piper?"

Hartley grabbed his pillow and left Mark and his equally intoxicated guest in the bigger bedroom. Having a roommate he wasn't sleeping with was a new experience for him. He decided he didn't care for it.

* * *

Mark had the decency to look somewhat embarrassed when he made his way into the kitchen around noon the next day. "Hey, Hartley. Um…sorry about, uh…bothering you last night."

"It's okay. You can have the bigger room if you want."

"Did that girl I brought home last night leave already?"

"Yep. She stole some of my CDs. I hope you're planning on reimbursing me."

"Uh, yeah, sorry. If it helps she took my wallet too."

"Why would that help? Mark, you're not exactly Digger or anything. You're reasonably attractive and capable of being charming. I don't think you need to settle for girls that are quite that sketchy."

"I think your french toast is burning."

"Dammit!" Hartley quickly turned the burner off and started scraping the blackened mess out of his frying pan with a spatula. "James makes this look so easy!"

"You can't make french toast?" Mark asked, surprised.

Hartley flipped the pan over so Mark could see the results of his attempt at cooking himself. None of the 'toast' moved. "I can't cook to save my life. I don't know why I bother trying. Oh, yeah, because up until I went nuts I was living with a really hot amateur chef who cooked sumptuous meals for me on a whim and I got used to eating more than Hot Pockets."

"Your skill level is Hot Pockets?"

"…actually I can't even heat those evenly."

"Okay, well I'll make you a deal. Don't bug me about who I bring home and I'll make enough for two whenever I cook."

Hartley frowned. "I'll agree as long as you refrain from bringing in girls with such obvious substance addictions that they're likely to rob us, like the girl from last night."

"All right, deal. Now move outta the way, I'm starving." Mark edged Hartley away from the counter and assessed the supplies he'd set out for his attempt at cooking. His eyebrows shot up when he saw the contents of Hartley's bowl. "Did you just shove a stick of butter in a bowl of milk and egg?"

"I thought those were the ingredients James used when he made this…"

"You use the butter to grease the pan, you need like half that amount of milk, and you're supposed to combine the egg with a fork."

"Oh. Greasing the pan makes sense."

"You know what, let's just see if we can find an IHOP or something instead."

"Okay." Hartley started putting away the milk and the bread. Mark contemplated putting the pan with the charred toast in the sink, and dropped it in the trash can instead.

* * *

By the end of the first week Hartley and Mark had mostly gotten used to each other as roommates. Mark wasn't home much, and when he was he kept up his end of the bargain by cooking, did a little bit of cleaning, and mostly sat around reading. Hartley wasn't home much either, cleaned even less, and spent a lot of his time either brooding or flipping through job ads in the newspaper, trying to figure out what he was going to do with his life. He had enough savings to live off of to take his time with it, but it was a little nerve wracking not knowing.

"So wait, you're not just going to be a supervillain again?" Mark asked, after finally asking Hartley what he was doing with the newspapers.

"I don't really want to-"

"Why not? You were pretty good at it."

"Please. If any of us were actually good at it don't you think we would have beaten the Flash a little more often?" Hartley asked, rolling his eyes.

Mark shrugged. "I didn't think the point of the game was to beat him. I thought it was to have fun, make him look like an idiot, and bring home enough loot to get by. You were certainly good at that."

"I guess. But I didn't really like it in the end. I…I don't know if I'm going to go back to being the Pied Piper or not. I haven't tried just being me for awhile."

"I think it's a really shitty idea to be one of those costumes who compartmentalizes off their personalities, personally." Mark set his book aside and sat up on the couch, clearly giving the conversation more of his attention. "I mean, it's not like I'm a different person from the Weather Wizard. When I'm in the green suit I'm still Mark Mardon. I'm just Mark Mardon in a distinctive outfit with a job title."

"Well, yes, but don't you go into a different persona when you're working?" Hartley pressed.

Mark shrugged. "Not really. I suppose you did a little though. You had a pretty kick ass 'mwa ha ha' villain voice. I'd thought it was a performer's thing."

"The whole thing was an act. I always hated scaring the innocent bystanders."

"Yeah, we noticed." Mark grinned. "That's why I figured the Pied Piper wasn't really a distinctive personality from the preachy, do-gooder Hartley Rathaway. Because you were always such an unnecessarily nice bad guy. Remember when Mick accidentally torched that tenement building and you threatened to hypnotize us into conga-ing up to Iron Heights if we didn't get all the innocents out?"

"Yeah, I guess-"

"Piper, most villains _leave_ the imperiled bystanders for the _superhero_."

"Hm. Maybe you're right and it was only a little bit of an act. To tell you the truth, I kind of liked referring to myself as Piper better than Hartley anyway."

Mark snorted. "No one blames you in the least."

"Yeah, I know. Look, it's a family name. And it could be worse."

"How?"

"My father's name is Osgood Rathaway."

"You're right. That is actually worse," Mark laughed. "I was the one who lucked out with my siblings. So glad I wasn't born first and named after my grandfather like my poor big brother. Ah Clyde…between that and the glasses and being a super genius he was always getting shoved into lockers and my mom was always _so_ confused by it."

"Yeesh. My parents always knew exactly why the janitor was letting me out of the locker at the end of the school day."

"Did you do your preachy speeches when you were a kid too?" Mark asked.

"Yep. You did help your brother out of the lockers, didn't you? Don't tell me you made him wait for the janitors."

"Course I didn't. And I beat the living hell out of his bullies too. He was such a well-meaning doofus. I kind of had to get tougher to protect him."

Hartley had been casually browsing through the newspaper again as they spoke, but Mark's tone of voice prompted him to set the paper down and look at his roommate. Mark's head was down and he was wringing his hands. "Mark? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, fine. Just thinking about what an idiot my super genius brother was. I think I'm gonna make a sandwich. Do you want anything?"

"I'm all set."

"Okay. So…do you still want me to try to call you Hartley or can I go back to Piper?"

He chewed his lip and thought about it for a second. "Piper. I think I'm ready to be Piper again."

Mark grinned. "Welcome back."

 


	3. Chapter 3

A wail of pure terror pulled James from sleep. Disoriented, he stumbled off of Mindy's couch with the blanket tangled in his legs and whacked his knee on her coffee table before he remembered he was camped out in a living room instead of a bedroom. He adjusted his actions accordingly, and managed to avoid whacking any more furniture. Then he was momentarily blinded by the hallway light snapping on.

"Oof!" That time he did trip on the coffee table and landed on the floor. Mindy was running down the hall in an oversized t-shirt and gym shorts. The screaming was coming from her son's bedroom.

"Billy! Billy, wake up!"

Cautiously, James followed after her. He didn't really think it was his place to interfere; Mindy was definitely the one to talk to Billy after a night terror. But he wanted to make sure the kid was okay.

"Mommy!" Billy held his arms out and Mindy obliged with a crushing hug. He sobbed into her chest.

"Billy, ssh, sweetie, it's okay. You're okay. It was just a bad dream."

"N-no, it w-wasn't! I was awake! Mom, I-I wasn't sleeping!"

Mindy froze, and for just a second a look of panic set in her features, but it was gone just as quickly as it came. "What happened?"

"I was…I was sitting in bed tuh-trying to sleep and…and I heard a voice." Billy stopped for another sob, tiny shoulders shaking in his mother's arms. "I don't like the voice, Mommy. But he s-says I'm chosen. And then he sh-showed me things. There were people being hurt, and he said he was going to t-take you there if I tried to stop him. I don't know who he is or what he wants!"

"Oh honey, ssh, calm down. I know it must have felt real, but it was just a dream. It can't hurt you."

"No, Mommy-"

" _Billy_. It was _just_ a _dream_. No one's taking me anywhere. You really think someone could drag me off without a good kick to the shins?" Mindy joked. Billy giggled, and she wiped the tears from his cheeks. "That's right. Your mom's a tough customer. Right, James?"

He started, so absorbed in the little drama in front of him that he forgot he was completely visible standing in the doorway. "Oh yeah, of course. Not to mention if this supposed bad man was real, I'd have to kick his nasty butt before he got through the front door. No one's taking your mom anywhere, squirt."

"You promise?" Billy asked.

James walked over to the bed, crouched down to Billy's level, and held out his hand with his pinky finger crooked. "Pinky swear. And you know what that means, Billy. If I break my promise, you get to break my pinky."

" _James_!"

"What? That's how pinky swears work."

Billy grabbed James' pinky with his own and shook. "Okay."

Mindy kissed Billy's forehead and he flinched and pulled away. "All right, tough guy. Do you want me to stay with you until you fall asleep?"

"No, I'm okay. I'm not afraid of bad dreams. But, um…could you leave the door open a crack?"

"Of course. Good night, little man." Mindy kissed him again, Billy squirmed again, and then the adults left the room.

James started back for the mess he'd made of the couch, ready to go back to sleep after the brief excitement, when he suddenly found himself with an armful of distressed Mindy Hong.

"Okay…I think I missed something."

"Oh God, James, it wasn't a dream," she hissed. "There's something stalking my son."

* * *

Mark walked into the apartment carrying a newspaper, all ready to plop it down dramatically in front of Piper while he made his exciting announcement, only to find his roommate avidly staring at the television. The evening news had ruined his big reveal.

Mark still dropped the paper on the coffee table, with a big picture of the new Flash running through the city. "Looks like junior followed us."

" _Or_ he was a member of the Teen Titans and was living in New York anyway. So you noticed it was Kid Flash too?" Piper asked. He muted the TV and turned to inspect the newspaper.

Mark nodded. "It's not like there are a heck of a lot of other options though. How long do you think the kid's gonna last?"

Piper shrugged. "He's been doing the costumed hero thing for awhile now…but I suppose he's mostly been doing team ups or working with the Titans. I don't know. He seems to be handling solo heroics pretty decently so far."

"Check this out though, he wants to get paid."

" _What_?"

Mark opened the paper and handed it to Piper, who started skimming the story. "Yeah, says right in there. Some hospital needed him to run a heart across country on short notice for an emergency transplant and he made them cover expenses."

"Holy shit. I think Flash the second might be an even bigger tool than the old one. I honestly didn't think that was possible." Piper scowled. "He's supposed to be a superhero, for fuck's sake! Didn't anyone ever teach him the meaning of the word altruistic?"

"Guess not. Didn't exactly look like the dead Flash was giving the kid superhero lessons or anything though. From what I could tell, it looked like he just stuck a costume on a kid with super speed and told him to go have fun."

Piper chewed on his lip. "I give him another month. Two, tops."

"That's optimistic. I give him a week."

Piper got up and started rifling around the apartment for his keys, wallet, and sweatshirt. Mark slid onto the couch, grabbed the remote control, and started channel surfing. "Where're you headed?"

"The selfish pig headedness of the new Flash left a bad taste in my mouth. I need to go do something good for humanity for a few hours."

Mark laughed. "One of Central City's most notorious supervillains is going to do something good for humanity while the new Flash extorts money from the people he's rescuing. That's just perfect."

"See you later, Mark."

* * *

James set a steaming mug of tea down in front of Mindy. After her initial freak out (which, annoyingly, had consisted more of sobbing and hyperventilating than details or conversation) she'd gone very quiet until he'd led her into the kitchen and started fussing with the tea.

James paced back and forth with his own mug, then finally broke the silence. "So any thoughts about this evil night stalker?"

Mindy flinched. "I…I don't know much yet."

"You said Billy's a channel. What's he channel, exactly?"

"He has a, well, I'd thought it was an imaginary friend but clearly he's not…anyway, Billy calls him Mr. Meshta."

"Mr. Meshta?"

"I know where he got the name. My grandmother, the one who was raised in Zhutan, remember?"

James scowled. "The one who called me White Devil or Wop depending what kind of racist she was feeling that day? And talked about me like I wasn't standing in the room? And spit on my shoes? Yeah, I remember her. She was a real peach."

Mindy sighed. "She was just…traditional. She wanted me to marry a nice Asian boy, which you clearly were not. Anywho, she used to baby sit Billy for me until she had a stroke and she told him all these Zhutanese folk stories about their deity, Meshta, so that's where Billy got the name from. But it's not Mr. Meshta I'm worried about. He seems friendly enough. It's the man who glows green. Billy's seen him a few times and he says that this man is enemies with Mr. Meshta. And since Mr. Meshta chose Billy, the green man hates him and wants to hurt him."

James quirked an eyebrow. "Is the green man afraid of Mr. Meshta?"

"I think so."

"Well, will this entity Billy's channeling, this Mr. Meshta, protect him from the green man?"

"I don't know. He's still just learning how to use his powers. James, he's only four. I really think the green man wants to…to take care of him before he grows up and becomes a threat."

"It's what I'd do," James agreed. Mindy looked up suddenly with wide, fear filled eyes. "You know, _if_ I was that kind of crook. Which I'm not. But taking out the competition, yeah, that's a basic strategy. I used to just get the other guys sent to jail though. Anyway, this is totally different so we should get back on track. What are you doing to get Billy trained on his powers?"

"Doing?" Mindy blinked. "Um, well I've gotten some books on magicians…and…"

James waved a hand impatiently. Mindy's face colored, and she looked down at her mug of tea. "Oh. So you don't have any idea what you're doing then?"

She stood up suddenly and slammed her hands on the table. "For your information I have been raising this child by myself on a shit job. I don't need condescension from some adrenaline driven commitment-phobe who wouldn't recognize responsibility if it kicked him in the groin!"

"Commitment-phobe? I _proposed_ to you! You're the one who ran off-"

"To finish school! Following the circus around didn't qualify as a life to me!"

"Yeah, well looks like your plans are working out real good now, aren't they? Ditching me for school getting you a _shit_ job and all-"

"Look, I'm sorry, I'm just scared. Please…please, let's just stop fighting."

James set his mug down and hugged her. "I'm sorry too. It's okay, let's just…let's figure this thing out. I've got some contacts I can talk to. I'll see if any of them have heard of Meshta, and see if I can figure out an identity for the green man. Okay?"

Mindy sniffled and buried her face in his shoulder. "Thank you, Jamie."

"No problem, Min. And hey, it might not be a bad idea to look into some kinda magical tutor for Billy to study with. I bet defending yourself from evil douches who want to exploit your powers or eliminate competition is really early into the curriculum."

She let out a strained laugh. "I'll look into it."

* * *

Piper had been hesitant about taking up his old projects and causes when he'd been released from the hospital. For one thing, when he'd been unhealthy his charitable projects actually urged him towards criminal activity. He'd get angry at the injustice he saw everywhere and go to extreme measures to right some wrongs. Steal from this rich, faceless corporation to keep such and such an underfunded shelter or charity's doors open. It was a bad pattern he didn't want to get sucked into again.

And then he just worried about doing something that felt important when he didn't feel particularly strong or stable. How could he help anyone when he was still putting himself back together? He remembered how terrified he'd been when his parents had kicked him out. Before he'd met Earl and gotten the protection of a street savvy muscleman, he'd been hopelessly naïve and vulnerable. Easy prey. If he was going to be any help to people in similar desperate circumstances he'd need to be strong and, most important of all, sane.

But his projects gave purpose to his life and he missed them. And the days seemed so long without heists to plan or…

Or a boyfriend.

That was another thing. He was noticing how codependent his relationships had been up until this point. Almost every activity in his day could make him think of James or Earl, meaning there were very few things he had done just for himself, as himself. He'd been almost completely defined as first Earl's boyfriend, and then as James'. That was something that he never wanted to repeat again, if he could help it.

Ultimately, he'd decided to ease himself back into his old projects by volunteering at one place only once or twice a week. If he could handle more, he'd take on more.

He made his way over to St. Jude's shelter and was met by a dumpy looking woman with frizzy hair and a warm smile. "Hey new boy, you came back for more?" She wrapped Piper in a hug, which he awkwardly returned, but he managed a genuine smile for her.

"Hello Mary-Liz. Need any help?"

"Always honey, always. But before we get too busy, some of the kids were asking about you, and Kyle in particular's been asking me every ten minutes or so when you were gonna be in next. D'ya mind chatting with them first?"

"Of course not." Confused but curious, Piper approached a table in the back of the shelter where a group of children were coloring. Their parents were either working the low income jobs that couldn't keep a roof over their heads or out at interviews, leaving them in the bleak shelter to fill the time with donated art supplies and each other. The last time he'd dropped in Piper had brought a box of instruments with him and spent a couple of hours teaching some of the kids how to play simple melodies.

"Look, he's back!" a little girl in pigtails yelled, then ducked shyly behind her friend.

A boy with freckles poked Kyle, the most outspoken of the kids. "Ask him, ask him!"

"Heya, music guy!" Kyle called.

"Yes?" Piper asked, waiting patiently for the question, which he was starting to get a bad feeling about.

"Are you really a supervillain?"

Piper frowned. "What makes you think that?" He'd never checked it out, but common sense dictated shelters wouldn't want super criminals for volunteers, one of the many reasons he kept a variety of aliases.

"Well you look like one," Kyle continued. "The one that plays music. And you had that big box of music stuff last time you were here. My cousin lives in Central City and he told me all about the bad guys there, and even sent me pictures. So are you the Pied Piper?" Kyle took an envelope of newspaper clippings out of his backpack and put them on the table.

Piper groaned. Nothing short of using his hypnotic abilities to purge this conversation from everyone's minds would get him out of this, and he'd promised not to do that anymore.

What's worse, Mary-Liz was standing nearby and had heard the whole thing. She walked over to Kyle and took the pictures from him. She flipped through them for a second, then held up a picture of Piper in handcuffs being shoved towards a police cruiser and stared wide eyed at him.

"I should, uh, should go. I'm sure I have things to do. Bye." Piper quickly started walking away.

"Way to go, Kyle! You scared off the fun guy with your _stupid_!"

"Oh come on, I had to ask! Guys, how cool is that? We met a real supervillain!"

"So? I used ta live in Gotham. That guy was nothing. He's not even scary."

"No, not scary at all," Piper muttered to himself. "Just pathetic."

"Mr. Rathaway, wait." Mary-Liz grabbed his arm just as he was reaching the door. She looked at him hopefully. "Why don't we talk for a minute before you rush out? Please?"

Piper cringed. "You don't have to call me Mr. Rathaway."

She glanced down at the newspaper clipping she was still holding. "Can I call you Hartley then?"

"Piper actually works."

"So this _is_ you?"

He nodded.

She sighed. "C'mon, let's get away from all those curious little eyes, shall we?" She led him to a backroom that was half storage closet, half office. They sat on folding chairs, Piper still unwilling to meet her eyes. "So…you used to be a criminal then?"

"Yep."

"Piper, hon, you're not actually in bad company here. I'm not going to name names, but there are plenty of volunteers and people using this shelter who've gotten on the wrong side of the law. None as flamboyantly as you, from the looks of it, but they've all got something in common. They saw what was wrong about their path and they're looking for redemption. If you're in the same boat then there's nothing to be ashamed of. We need the help, you want to give it, and you've been fitting in really well so far."

"Really? I'm sorry, I just, I've felt like such a screw up lately," he admitted. "I was kind of waiting for something to chase me out of here too."

Mary-Liz smiled encouragingly at him and squeezed his hand. "Well I plan to keep you with us as long as I can, so shake off that feeling. Now, this costume of yours looks really interesting. Do you still have it?"

"No. I gave up the supervillainy."

"Oh." She actually looked disappointed. Piper quirked an eyebrow. "It's just, I thought it might make for a good activity for the kids. It looks almost like a fairy tale costume. You'd have a good theme going for story time, especially if you brought in the box of instruments again."

"Well it was based on a fairy tale design. I based my costumed persona off of the Pied Piper of Hamlin."

"Yes, I got that." Mary-Liz studied the picture again. "Could you get another costume?"

"I guess. I mean, I can give my old tailor a call."

"Great! Well, I'd better get back out there. Oh, could you do me a favor?" Mary-Liz grabbed a list off her desk and handed it to him. "I need someone to head down to these bakeries for me. We might be able to work out a donation arrangement."

Piper looked down at the addresses. "Yeah, not a problem."

"Thanks, honey."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had to clarify this one before, so it didn't seem like a bad idea to mention it here; Wally really did try to charge people for superheroics when he first became the Flash. At that point he needed to consume ridiculous amounts of calories to fuel his superspeed, so he wanted people to cover his costs in exchange for heroics. The heart transplant story is from a Mike Baron issue. 
> 
> I actually like the fact that Wally started out as kind of an unheroic hero. He wasn't really sure what he was doing in the early days and learned a lot from the characters around him. It was a lot of fun watching him grow and evolve during his time in the red pajamas.


	4. Chapter 4

 

Ever since he'd mastered walking Billy Hong had been in the habit of running up to the front door when his mother was supposed to be getting out of work, whether it was at his own house, a babysitter's, or a daycare. And when he saw her car pull into the driveway he'd go flying out the door and jump into her arms for a big hug. Mindy had gotten used to it as a part of her routine for the day and looked forward to her hug all through her irritating job.

So when she pulled into her driveway and her son didn't come running up for that hug she felt a moment of panic. Obviously something was seriously wrong. Her first thought went to the man that glowed green, and she almost fell out of her car in her haste to get into the house.

It was exceptionally anticlimactic then, when she found Billy and James sitting on the living room rug playing video games with a big selection of contraband snack food between them.

"H-hey, Min," James greeted carefully, trying to edge a tray of double stuff Oreos out of view. "You're home early."

"No I'm not! I'm exactly on time!" she snapped. Billy's eyes were still glued to the television.

"Hi, Mom," he mumbled distantly, never glancing away from his game. His little mouth was ringed with sticky orange powdered cheese goo.

Mindy calmly approached them, ran her hand through James' hair (which had the desired effect of unnerving him, based on the way his eyes widened), then she gripped hard, pulled, and dragged him towards the kitchen.

"Ow! Ow-ow-ow-ow-ow!"

"Stop growing it out if you don't want to give me a handhold! Billy, turn that thing off and go to your room!"

"But _Mom_ -"

"Did that sound like a question, mister?"

"No." He glumly did as instructed.

James, being almost a full foot taller than Mindy, was bent over at an awkward angle for the duration of the dragging. When she finally let him go he was torn between gently patting at his sore skull and rubbing a kink in his neck.

"What was that for?" he snapped.

"GET YOUR OWN PLACE!" she exploded. "You've been leeching off of me for months now! At first it was fine, fine! You were polite, you were helpful, you weren't _intentionally_ _corrupting_ my only son, implying all the rules I've made for him are extremist and paranoid! You didn't have weird guests, you didn't let new prototypes of your shoes wander around the house scuffing up my ceilings- _you didn't blow things up in my garage_! I've had it! I want you out of here by the end of the week!"

"Min, I'm sorry. I didn't know I was bugging you that much, I swear."

She took her glasses off and rubbed at her face. "I guess you can't help being an immature jackass."

"Nope."

"Oh dear God, James, can you for once just act your age? I did like having you in my life again, but I-I can't! I just can't take you anymore." She hugged her arms, looking like the picture of defeat.

"Why didn't you tell me I was pissing you off that much?" he asked quietly, edging towards her but keeping a respectful distance lest she go for his hair again.

" _I did_!"

"Yeah, but I thought you were joking." He took a cautious step back so that he was out of hitting range.

"You're kidding, right?"

"Uh…okay, I knew I was pressing some buttons. I just didn't know they were important ones. Fine, fine. You're right, you guys have been more generous to me than I should have expected. I'll get my own place and be out of your hair. But Min, keep me posted on Billy, all right? I wanna help you guys."

Mindy turned away from him under the pretense of cleaning imaginary crumbs off the kitchen counter. "You've already done plenty. I thought about what you said and I'm looking into a magical tutor for him."

"Okay, that's a good start." He sighed as something occurred to him. "As soon as I'm gone you're not going to tell me a damn thing about him, are you?"

"Why do you care so much?" Mindy snapped.

"I don't know, I just, uh…is it a bad thing? I just want you guys to be okay."

"Well we are. We've been fine without you and we'll keep being fine! Oh, hon, I'm sorry." She looked up and caught sight of the injured puppy look on his face. "I had a long day at work and I'm used to my little man greeting me when I get home-"

"Not being corrupted by the devil's electronic deviance," James finished.

"I just think there are better ways he could be spending his time than playing video games."

"Yeah, who needs fun, right?"

" _James_!"

* * *

Piper showed up at the first place on Mary-Liz's list, a tiny restaurant nestled between a couple of bakeries (also on the list). It was already closed, but he still knocked hopefully on the door. He waited a bit, then tried knocking again, and was just about to leave when the door opened a crack.

The girl's eyebrows went up when she noticed the list he was holding and her pretty face twisted into a sneer. Clearly she recognized the frolicking cats stationary. "Oh for the love of-you're one of Mary-Liz's creeps, aren't you?"

"Creeps?" Piper repeated, taken aback by her blatant hostility. "She just asked me to check if you had any baked goods you were going to throw out."

"Yeah, they're in the frickin' dumpster, where the health code says they're supposed to go. But your vagrants can dumpster dive if they're that desperate."

"I don't think the health code actually says-" She slammed and locked the door. "-that. Bitch." He went around back to check out the dumpster, wanting to know if she was lying.

* * *

Piper was sticking halfway out of the dumpster when he felt hands on his waist pulling him back out. Instinctually, he kicked whoever it was in the stomach and landed on the soiled concrete in a crouch position, ready to hit them again.

An older man was bent over in front of him, holding his gut and trying to get his breath back. He was wearing a chef's outfit (which now had a muddy boot print on the tummy) and there was a big box with bread and rolls popping out of the top behind him.

"Oh, sorry! Sorry, just, um-"

"Self-preservation instincts, it's okay. I'll live," the man answered in a strained voice. Still holding his stomach with one hand, he extended the other for a shake. "Michael."

"Piper. Uh…I so totally was not trying to steal bread from your dumpster…"

"I overheard your argument with Nicole just now. She said she'd sent you out to the dumpsters so I figured I'd just pop out back and check. Didn't expect to actually find you half in the thing though. Are you really in that rough of shape?"

"Me? I'm not homeless," Piper said, and then realized what he must have looked like hanging out of a dumpster wearing his scrubby jeans and an old sweatshirt. "I volunteer."

"Oh. I actually didn't expect that. People in this city seem to have a lot of aggression towards those in need. I have to confess, I don't really understand it," Michael admitted. "I'm not from around here, obviously."

"Yeah, accent clued me in. And I don't get it either. So does that mean I can take that," he pointed to the box of bread. "for the shelter?"

"Of course. I was starting to think you Americans didn't have places for relief. If you can pop by this time every day except Sunday, I can have a box for you."

Piper beamed at him and Michael's face colored a little. "That'd be wonderful! Thank you so much!"

* * *

"What's all this?" Mary-Liz asked breathlessly upon exiting her office and finding the shelter's tables packed with boxes of baked goods.

Piper was sitting on the end of a table ripping pieces off of a coffee roll and handing them to a toddler. "Hi. I went to all the bakeries and restaurants and cafes on your list."

"And they gave you food? All of them?" She continued staring in disbelief at all the food, and the excited children digging through the boxes for sweets.

"Yes…"

"Holy cow! What'd you do?" Mary-Liz asked.

Piper frowned. "I don't follow."

"I've been sending people to those exact same places every other week for two years and we've never gotten anything like this! Every now and then Sam and Pat bring back a bag that I'm pretty sure they pulled out of a dumpster."

"Oh. Well I asked and they gave me donations."

"Yeah, everyone asks. What else'd you do?" she asked suspiciously.

Piper shrugged. "Asked nicely? Well, and then when they spouted bull-uh, BS…" he smiled awkwardly at the toddler that was still hovering in front of him for more coffee roll, "I made a little speech and guilt tripped them."

Mary-Liz nodded. "So you just didn't give up, that's it?"

Piper's eyes narrowed. "I didn't do what I think you're accusing me of, if that's what you're getting at."

She cringed. "Sorry hon, but I just had ta check. I mean, well come out back with me for a sec."

Piper handed off the pastry to the toddler's older sister and followed Mary-Liz back into the office.

"Sorry, sorry, it's just, well the articles said you used ta brainwash people."

"Hypnotize," Piper bristled.

"Honey, how are they not the same thing?" she asked. He looked a little sheepish. "Anywho, the important thing is, I get how it would be tempting to make jerks do the right thing, but-"

" _I know_! And I didn't! I don't even have an instrument on me, if you want to have me checked for your peace of mind!"

"Honey, calm down, it's okay. I just had ta ask. We really never got results like that before. This city's really hardened its heart towards the needy, that's all."

Piper nodded. "I, um, did do something a little less than ethical."

"Oh no." Her face fell in that way that indicated she'd just known a room full of freely offered food was too good to be true. "What is it?"

"I…lead a few guys on. I think that helped." He reached into his pocket. "I got some phone numbers though."

"Oh." Mary-Liz breathed a sigh of relief. "I think the Lord'll forgive you, but try not to do that again if you can help it."

* * *

James wasn't quite surprised when he got home from work one day to find Mindy's house empty. He'd figured it was coming, but it was still a little disconcerting to think that she'd packed the place up and skipped town in under seven hours. He walked through the empty rooms, then sat down on the living room floor to do some thinking.

His first instinct, naturally, was to follow her. As the weeks had gone on she'd gotten more and more jumpy regarding Billy, and whereas James could understand her being protective (motherly instincts plus looming threat of magical-big-bad), there was something strange in it. He wanted to help.

Then again, every offer of help he'd given had been refused. Even though she'd said she was happy to see James bonding with Billy, the closer he'd gotten to the kid the more snappy Mindy had become. Apparently James was a terrifying prospect for a surrogate father.

James sighed. "I guess if I want to follow Mindy and Billy I've gotta grow up and become the kind of man Mindy wants in Billy's life…a respectable authority figure." He thought about it for a few minutes. She'd probably want him to get a desk job, one of those really boring ones where he had to wear a suit and suck up to a bunch of whiny, ladder climbing-no, that obviously wasn't going to work.

'Okay, I'm not following Mindy. Now what am I gonna do with my life?' He supposed he could go hassle Danny some more, but that had lost its fun too.

Oddly enough, he kinda wanted to go back to Central. But that thought kicked up the usual knot of unease that he didn't want to dwell on…although it was weaker this time. Was he finally getting over Piper? James closed his eyes and did something he hadn't let himself do in months: he thought freely about his ex-boyfriend.

* * *

"Shit-shit-shit! Where are my keys? I can never find anything in this mess! Mark? Have you seen my keys?"

"Uh huh." Mark had barely registered that his roommate was shouting at him. He was looking at a newspaper clipping with a phone number scribbled on it, contemplating a team up.

Then Piper ran through the room wearing his super villain costume with a hoodie over it. Mark did a double take, wondering if he'd really seen what he'd seen, until Piper ran back into the living room with his keys sticking out of his mouth, a shoe in each hand.

It wasn't exactly the same as the old getup. This one hand a plunging neckline, and the polka dots were smaller and more plentiful. Mark dropped his newspaper clipping and stared.

"Wfft?" Piper tried to ask, and the keys clattered to the floor. "What?"

"What are you wearing?" Mark asked, while Piper bent over to grab his keys and put his shoes on.

"A costume."

"Yeah, I can see. But why? I thought you said you were giving up the villainy. If you aren't then that saves me some trouble. I got invited in on a heist, but I'm not sure if I can trust these assholes. I'd really rather work it with you instead."

Piper sat up with his keys stowed safely in his hoodie pocket and his shoes on his feet. "Nope, not for a heist. I'm doing another bread run for the homeless tonight-"

"And that requires a super villain costume?" Mark asked.

Piper shrugged. "Making a spectacle of myself helps, for some reason. The people I distribute the food to have started recognizing me as the Bread Man when I wear this, and the organizations I take the food from-"

"What's with the bare chest?" Mark asked, cutting him off.

Piper looked a little uncomfortable. "You, uh…wouldn't believe how many gay cooks and bakers there are in this city. I asked Gambi to make the costume a little flirtier. He sent me some really crazy thigh high boots too…I'm still not sure about those."

"So you're whoring yourself out for a good cause?"

"I'm not whoring myself out! I'm only sleeping with one of them!"

"Whoa, okay, more than I needed to hear." Mark retrieved his newspaper clipping, signifying that he was just about done with the conversation. "Glad to hear you're finally over Trickster though."

"I…hadn't thought about it in those terms," Piper admitted. He frowned, confronted by emotions that he'd managed, for the most part, to keep at bay. "What do you think he's up to?"

Mark shrugged. "Probably something idiotic and filled with explosions. Who cares? You're over him now, right?"

"I…I guess so. Um, I'm heading out. I'll see you later."

"Eh, maybe."

* * *

Piper jogged up the flights of stairs to his apartment building, anxious to share some news with his roommate. He flung open the apartment door. "Mark! Hey, Mark! You home? You're never going to believe what happ-oh, excuse me."

A startled looking young woman was sheepishly making her way from the kitchen to the living room. Her brown hair was sticking up in a few places and her clothes were disheveled. She mumbled a pleasantry at Piper, barely giving him or his bizarre apparel a second glance in her haste to leave.

Mark walked into the kitchen a moment later wearing jeans, slippers, and a smile.

"You, uh, had company tonight?" Piper observed.

"Don't worry, Julie's not like the girls we talked about before." He smirked at something. "She's in a whole different class."

"Oh, so this one has a name? Are you going to be seeing her again?"

"Nah, this was more of an opportunistic thing. So what were you ranting about just now?" Mark walked over to the fridge and grabbed a soda. He handed one off to Piper.

"Oh, right. Um, you're never going to guess who I saw tonight while I was distributing yesterday's bake!"

"Flash?" Mark guessed.

"Yes! How'd you guess that?" Piper asked, annoyed.

He shrugged. "Well who else would you have gotten all flustered about? So the kid's taking handouts now? That'd explain why he's trying to get people to pay him for being a superhero. Kinda stupid of him to make his identity public though, if he's gonna be panhandling."

"He wasn't really panhandling. I'd kind of assumed he was working undercover or something," Piper admitted.

Mark snorted. "Working undercover's for detective types. There's nothing remotely undercover about the speedsters. They just charge right in and punch you in the face."

"True enough. Huh. I wonder what he was up to, then?"

"Don't know, don't care. I'm going to bed."

"G'night."

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder, I write primarily from the perspective of the supervillains. They're not fond of the superheroes who beat and humiliated them ;)

"Mommy, are you okay?" Jerrie asked.

Rachel gave herself a little shake to clear her head and had a smile fixed on her face when she turned away from the television to face her daughter. "Of course I am, sweetheart. Why ever would you ask?"

"You looked all funny," Jerrie explained. "You were scooched real close to the TV and you had this funny look on your face. But if you're all done now, can I watch cartoons?"

"Of course dear, of course." Rachel turned to PBS, gave Jerrie the remote control and a kiss on the cheek, then went upstairs to go watch the news in her bedroom.

She had to wait for the five o'clock news to start before the station replayed the part where her son grabbed the microphone from a pretty young reporter and started lecturing. She was watching it again when Osgood got home from work.

"So you've seen it?"

She nodded. "It's…it's rather nice to hear his voice again, and just like old times too, the way he scolded the girl and all that. Osgood…Hartley said he was going to track down a murderer-"

"I'm sure he'll be all right," Osgood snapped, cutting her off and betraying the extent of his own worry.

Rachel smiled. "Yes, I'm sure he'll be fine. It's just…going after murderers to bring them to justice doesn't sound terribly villainous. Do you think he's changed?"

Osgood scoffed. "He looked just as bad as he's ever been to me. Running around in that ridiculous costume, yelling at people about how they ought to behave-"

"This is the first time he's been on the news in months. The first time since…since that horrid breakdown."

Osgood's face fell. "I hadn't been aware you'd seen that."

"Oh for goodness sake, Osgood, it was all over the news! How could I have missed it?" She turned off the television and started pacing. "I think I've gone on with this long enough. Hartley's changed-"

"He's a deranged super villain, Rachel! Do you think I enjoyed kicking him out and cutting him off? We've been over this. It was necessary and you agreed with me. We can't have him corrupting Jerrie."

"It's been years. He could very well be a different person now. Please Osgood, isn't it worth looking into?" Rachel turned pleading eyes on her husband. Cutting Hartley out of their lives had been hellish for both of them, and it was especially difficult to keep his resolve strong when Rachel looked at him like that.

"I know it's hard, darling, but it's for the best. Think of Jerrie. Think of how much peace of mind we've saved without having a costumed criminal cavorting under our roof."

"Peace of mind?" Rachel whispered. She covered her mouth with her hand, a small sob escaping her before she composed herself again. She finished the rest of her speech with an even voice. "Every night when I go to sleep I pray my poor little son hasn't gone and gotten himself hurt or butchered in his confusion, and every morning I'm reminded that I'll have no way of knowing for sure if he's safe. You've said that Hartley was dangerous, but he just seemed sick. And he may be better now!"

"But we have no way of knowing for sure," Osgood said helplessly. Rachel's eyes hardened.

"Then find out!"

* * *

It was very tempting to roll his eyes, but Piper restrained himself until after he'd wandered into an isolated location (the dumpsters behind the homeless shelter served that purpose), slipped a pipe from his coat pocket, and frozen the Flash in place. Different Flash, same arrogance and predictability (not to mention a proclivity for underestimating his foes).

Piper finished taking out the trash while Wally imitated a statue next to the back door. He whistled on his last couple of trips. As he brought out the last bag he stopped mid whistle and giggled, noticing the couple of rats who were sniffing around Flash's bright yellow booties. Piper clicked his tongue at the rats and patted his shirt pocket. The rodents ran up Piper's back, up over his shoulder, and extracted the treats he'd stowed for them.

"Hi," he greeted, once the rats had scampered off with a few treats each. Wally didn't answer, because he couldn't, but his eyes were blazing with anger. "Oh come now, you were spying on me. I'd thought we'd worked past that mistrust when we worked on the Comforter case together. Apparently not."

Piper set his instrument down for a second and retied his ponytail. A good portion of his bangs had escaped while he was doing chores for the shelter and the wind was whipping the loose strands into his eyes. "Well. I think that's my last stall." He blew a few notes to unfreeze the speedster. "Learn your lesson?"

"That you're an asshole?" Wally retorted.

"Apparently not." Piper scowled. Before he could think of something humiliating to make the speedster do, Wally was holding his pipes.

"I'm not here to spy. I'm here to talk."

"Then why were you spying on me? That's counterproductive, you know."

Wally narrowed his eyes. "I just want to know if you're for real."

"Be a little more cryptic."

"Look, I can't tell if you're a supervillain or a superhero, that's all. And if you're a superhero I'd like to know. Frankly, I could use the help."

That…hadn't been what Piper was expecting at all. He stared at Wally for a moment, sure his jaw had dropped, and then started laughing. "Me? A superhero? Why on earth would you think _I'm_ a superhero?"

"Because you help people," Wally said.

"You're not joking?"

"Dead serious. Helping people is kinda all there is to it. So?" He held out the pipe, and Piper slowly reached to take it.

"I'm not a superhero Wally, I'm just me."

"Fair enough. When was the last time you committed a crime?"

"…I guess it's been awhile. You know, I'm not really sure." Piper frowned, looking down at his pipe. "I guess since I've gotten out of Breedmore I've been more focused on other things."

"Cool. So would it be okay if I asked you for help sometimes?"

"I don't fully get why you'd want to."

"Come on dude, does it really look like I know what I'm doing?" Wally pulled the cowl down and combed his fingers through his hair. "I've been the Flash for a grand total of three months. Before that I wasn't even sure if I wanted to keep being Kid Flash. I can't say this to too many people because I want to keep this mantle going, and I-I want my uncle's legacy to really mean something, but…I can't do this alone."

"But why me? I'm just an ex-con, and not even a very good one. That and the mental instability, and my obnoxiousness, I mean being friends with me would pretty much kill your PR-"

"Yeah, but you're a good person."

"No I'm not."

"Look, you may have caught me tonight, but I've been watching you on and off since we did take down the Comforter and in that time I've seen you bounce between all these different projects-the shelters, the soup kitchens, the charities and fundraisers…it's stuff I never even really think about, but it's just as important as making sure the world's not blown up. It's, like, really changing things. So yeah, I do want your help." Wally shrugged. "Y'know, unless you're still robbing banks and shit. Then I kinda gotta take you in."

"Understandable," Piper said, still processing the fact that his former nemesis' protégé had faith in him. It was a little overwhelming. "Fine, yeah, I guess I wouldn't mind working with you from time to time."

"Great! Cuz there's this case I'm working on now that's got me really stumped. I'm gonna go get some newspaper clippings, be back in a, well, you know. Bye."

"Wait, but I-"

Wally was already gone. Piper sighed. "I _was_ supposed to have a date tonight." Ah well. He could always reschedule with Michael. How often was he going to get the chance to run with the heroes?

* * *

"This is a pretty ridiculous hour." Michael was standing in the doorway imposingly with his arms crossed, wearing his robe and slippers, not looking the least inclined to invite Piper in.

"It is indeed a ridiculous hour. That's why I brought apology muffins." Piper shook a bag enticingly.

"No, you brought apology muffins because you wanted a bite and thought I might find the gesture charming."

"…is it working?"

Sighing, Michael stepped aside and opened the door wider. Piper kissed his cheek and sauntered into the living room.

"So what did you end up doing that was so important you had to cancel our date fifteen minutes before we were supposed to meet?"

"I was hanging out with the Flash."

"Cute is cute, but I'd rather have the real story if you don't mind. It is late." Michael sat down next to Piper and snagged the muffin bag, examining its contents. He wrinkled his nose distastefully and handed it back off.

"I'm not being cute. I really was hanging out with the Flash and that's the reason I cancelled. He didn't give me much notice."

"I thought he was your enemy."

"The old one was. This one's just a puppy-"

"A puppy?" Michael quirked an eyebrow.

"It's…the best way to describe the kid, really." Piper chewed on his muffin thoughtfully. "He's very trusting and open. For one, he's made his identity public. And he sought me out for help because we teamed up for one case and, I don't know, I guess he got a good feeling off of me. He's too trusting for his own good."

"So you're going to look after him then?"

"I'm thinking about it." Piper shook his head. "His fucking uncle, the dead Flash, god I wish I could resurrect him so I could adequately kick his ass-"

"For once," Michael couldn't help but joke.

"Hey, I almost won some of the time," Piper grumbled. Michael kissed his cheek.

"Sure you did, sweetheart."

"I don't appreciate being patronized."

Michael responded by patting his head. Piper tilted his head suddenly and lightly bit Michael's hand. Chuckling, Michael turned to look at him again. "So why exactly do you wish so much ill will towards the deceased Flash? I take it it's not just to do with him embarrassing you all the time?"

"…there's a little too much history between me and Barry Allen for one late night discussion. But right now I'm mostly fixating on what he's done to his nephew-"

"The current Flash."

"Right." Piper sighed. "Wally's determined to hold up Barry's legacy, which in his mind is a lot more impressive than it should be. He didn't notice how much of a, well, ginormous asshat toolbag Barry was, so now he thinks he's like Gandhi, Santa Claus, and Elvis all rolled into one. So that pressure, combined with how naïve this kid is and the fact that Allen in no way prepared him for taking up this legacy…"

"Equals one dead, adorable puppy," Michael finished. Piper nodded. "Well then, I guess it's a good thing you've planned on taking him under your wing."

"I never said that. That's not what I said." Piper laughed. "Why would I mentor anyone? I can't even look after myself properly."

"Fine, bad phrasing. You do want to help him though, correct?"

"Yep. Michael, he asked me if I was a superhero. I still can't get over that. Me. A superhero." He started laughing again, surprised when Michael didn't join in. "Oh come on, it's funny."

"Not really. You do have a ridiculous costume that you wear while helping people. That's the definition, isn't it?"

"I'm a supervillain!" Piper yelled, exasperated.

"A supervillain who hasn't committed any crimes in almost a year and who consistently volunteers at homeless shelters and soup kitchens?"

"…I've been breaking and entering a lot."

"To fix up condemned buildings for squatters." Michael took one of Piper's hands in his and gave it a squeeze. "The Flash sees something in you that you haven't noticed yet then. It looks like the two of you can do a lot of good for each other."

"I suppose."

"All right then. I forgive you for standing me up. Be careful though. For a few minutes, I almost thought you were taken with this Wally person." Michael stood up and made to throw out the bakery bag, leaving Piper indignantly silent. It took him more than a few seconds to stop squeaking and get a proper protest out.

"I do _not_ have a thing for _Wally_! He's so little-he-that's just terrible!" Piper followed Michael into the kitchen.

"Me thinks the fairy doth protest too much."

"You're a jerk."

"You stood me up to run around with a muscular young man in clingy spandex. I have a right to be a little upset," Michael pointed out.

"I'm sorry. Did I actually-" Piper was cut off by a kiss.

"No you dunce, I'm just teasing."

"…well okay then."

Michael tangled a hand in his hair, pulling him close for another kiss.

"I really don't have a thing for Wally," Piper murmured, still upset by the teasing.

"I should hope not. I'd like to think you had a thing for me." Michael stroked along Piper's cheek with his thumb.

"I do," Piper agreed.

"Well. It's late."

"You've mentioned that several times already."

"Mm. And now I'm hinting that you should stay the night."

"Oh. Yeah, that sounds good."

* * *

Michael left for work while Piper was still in his dead-to-the-world morning haze, so he was alone in his boyfriend's house when his cell phone started ringing around noon. Piper's initial reaction involved burrowing under the blankets and groaning, but he was awake enough to appreciate that he hadn't told his roommate he'd been sleeping out last night. It was possible it was Mark calling him and that he needed him for something.

Or an even better possibility, maybe it was Michael. Reluctantly, Piper opened his eyes to face the day and answered his phone.

"Hello?"

"Oh, er, yes. Hello? Is this...Hartley?"

His hand compulsively tightened around the phone. "Mom? How'd you get this number?"

"Never mind that dear, it's not important and I don't have a lot of time before your father gets home from work."

"Okay..."

"Yes then, so how are you doing? I see that you're living in New York now."

"Yep." Well wasn't this surreal?

"Do you enjoy it?"

"Uh...I guess so." Why was she calling him? He hadn't heard from his family since he was young, vulnerable, and being thrown out on his ass with no means of support. The chit chat was a little unexpected.

"Well, I've heard things about that city that are just horrid, so I hope you're being careful. You do live in a nice building, don't you? With a doorman to keep strangers from coming and going as they please?"

"Oh yeah, I live in a really nice place," Piper lied. Michael lived in a nice place, at least, and Piper was spending the brunt of his time there lately. "Mom, why are you calling me?"

"I...I wanted to check up on you. I saw something on the, that is...it looked like you're doing better. Are you-are you really a superhero now Hartley?"

Well that was the last straw. If his boyfriend, the Flash, and even his _mother_ thought Piper was a superhero, he must be. "I guess so."

"That's certainly better than the alternative, I suppose. But it's still dangerous. I hope you've thought this through more carefully than the whole supervillainy nonsense. But the Flash seems to be much better company than those silly men you were cavorting with before."

"Yeah, Wally's pretty cool," Piper agreed, smiling at the absurdity of the conversation. "So that's it? I'm not cut out of the family anymore?"

"...I'm just about finished with this dreadful distance, aren't you?"

"Yeah..." Piper's voice got heavy, and he had to take a second before he continued. "I miss you guys."

"Darling, we miss you too. And I don't care what your father says; I want you to come home for a visit the next time you're able to."

"Can I see Jerrie?" Piper asked.

"I'll need to talk that over with your father. He's very concerned about upsetting her. Now Hartley, I've only got a few minutes more. Can you tell me a little bit about your life? What have you been doing since you left that hasn't been in the newspapers?"

Piper laughed. "I think all the most interesting stuff made headlines."

"Are you...still a homosexual?"

"Yes, Mom..."

"And you're...you're quite sure you're always going to be one?" she pressed.

"Yep."

"Oh." She sounded disappointed, but it was still encouraging somehow, like she'd resigned herself to deal with it. "Well then, do you have a boyfriend?"

"Yep. His name's Michael. I think you'd like him." If she actually was getting over the fact that he was male, anyway.

"Oh. Is he handsome? Well he must be handsome, you always were. Do bring him around sometime so I can decide for myself if I'd like him, all right dear?"

"For real?"

"Yes, of course. Just be careful who finds out you're a homosexual. I don't want anything happening to you because of it."

Not for the first time that conversation, Piper almost dropped the phone. "Wait, you didn't want me to be gay because you're worried about me?"

"Of course. Why else would I care? All those horrible things they report in the news, any of it might have happened to you with how brash and tactless you are. You could wind up like that poor Shepherd boy, and I wouldn't have any idea until it was reported in the news." Rachel's voice was choked. Piper had no idea his mother knew who Matthew Shepherd was. He'd never expected his parents to have any familiarity with any aspects of the gay community, but it was like Rachel to seek out the most morbid information she could find.

"Mom, I promise I'm being careful." Or, he'd be a little more careful now.

"Good." Her voice still sounded heavy, but she quickly forced herself into her artificially composed society girl voice. "That and I would have liked to see some grandchildren. But I was reading an article at the hair salon the other day about this lovely looking couple who just had twins through that artificial insemination process. You could do that, couldn't you?"

"Uh...d'ya really think I should be a father?"

"Well you couldn't do much worse than your father and I did."

"Oh dear, I just heard your father pulling into the driveway. He wouldn't be pleased to find out I'd spoken to you. I'll soften him up though dear, so make sure you still come by for that visit. I have to hang up now though. Mummy loves you. Goodbye."

"Bye, Mom."

Piper hung up the phone, then stared into space for awhile reevaluating everything he'd thought he’d known about his mother.

* * *

Meanwhile, Mark was having an important phone call of his own. He'd gone on the team-up heist and taken back a pathetically small cut considering the personal danger he'd put himself in. That teared it; he was heading back to the Cities as soon as he found a place.

While putting in a call to the Network to set up an appointment to fence his loot, Mark was informed that Blacksmith herself wanted to talk to him. So he was put on hold and after waiting a little bit, she came on the line and they exchanged pleasantries.

"Now Mardon, I understand you're living with the Pied Piper?"

"Yeah, for now anyway. Actually I'm planning on moving back to the Cities-"

"Yes, that's very interesting. And the Piper's working with the Flash now, correct?" Blacksmith snapped, cutting him off.

"I dunno. I guess so."

"Do you know if he's telling the Flash sensitive things, and if so, what he's saying?" she pressed.

"Um..."

"Could you find out?"

"I guess so," Mark said. "What's in it for me?"

"The Network will compensate you for any work you do improving its security," Blacksmith promised.

"Then yeah, I'll find out whatever you want."

 

%MCEPASTEBIN%


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of the dialogue in this chapter was lifted directly from an issue from the early 90s, so if it seems a little clunky that's why. For those who aren't familiar with her, Jerrie Rathaway showed up in exactly one issue of the series and then was never used again. All we know about her is that she's significantly younger than Piper and that she's got some kind of vaguely defined mental disability.

Piper was beginning to have some concerns about his new friend. He couldn't tell if Wally was so self-centered as to be blinded to any and all social cues besides the blatantly obvious, secretly cruel enough not to care about the needs of others…or stupid.

There was a chance the boy was just stupid, because Joan Garrick in no shape, way, or form looked happy about Wally showing up on her stoop with two friends assuming he could crash at her place until he got his things together. When Wally had said he needed some moving buddies because he was heading to Keystone City, Piper had assumed he had a place he was moving to. Apparently not.

Wally wasn't taking the not-so-subtle hints Mrs. Garrick was throwing his way, so Piper decided it was time to do the old lady a favor and intervene. "Look guys, why don't you crash at my folks' place for tonight? They've got tons of room."

He hadn't actually spoken to his mother since that quick phone call the other morning, but Piper assumed the dreaded first visit to his parents' place would go over better if he showed up with a beloved local superhero…at least, that's what he was hoping.

Wally mumbled tentative assent, so Piper helped himself to Mrs. Garrick's phone, talking mostly to himself as it rang. "After all, my mom did ask me to visit. I'll just call…make sure it wasn't some other son she meant to invite." He was jittery, and he needed to suppress that before he was actually talking to either of his parents…

His bitter comment went right over Wally's head, but Mason and Joan traded surprised looks.

Piper ignored them and started a stream of nervous chatter as soon as his mother picked up. "Hi mummy, guess whose little bad penny this is? I brought a couple of friends to spend the night. I hope that's okay. I know this is kind of short notice, but-"

"Oh, no, Mr. Jiggs. Tuesday will be fine." In addition to not making much sense there was a tight quality to his mother's voice he damn well didn't like hearing. It was possible Rachel hadn't told Osgood that she was talking to Piper again and that he was in the room and she didn't want to give anything away…

Obviously, Piper hung up in some confusion, which quickly settled into a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Unless he was very much mistaken, his parents were in trouble.

Of course, this was one of those moments where being in the scarlet speedster's good graces was particularly useful. After Mrs. Garrick drew Wally a map to guide him to the Rathaway house he took off right for the northern Central suburbs, while Piper, Mason, and Joan made their slower progress to the isolated mansion.

* * *

Even though there was nothing remotely funny about the situation, Piper still kind of wanted to laugh. After all the grief his family had given him for his "choices" (because being gay? Yeah, he'd totally _picked_ that), his father had gone and gotten himself in trouble with a supervillain. Go figure. Granted, Piper couldn't tell exactly who, but the guys who'd hung Wally from the ceiling and tied his parents to chairs screamed of hired goon status.

They went down pretty easily too. Piper only had a brief moment of panic when he saw one of them going for his little sister, but the worst the goon managed was to give Jerrie a little scare before Piper took him out. Once Mrs. Garrick got Wally untied things went down quickly and cleanly. Wally escorted the grunts to a prison cell and was back in the living room before anyone noticed.

Piper awkwardly tapped his fingers against his pipe, wishing someone would say something. It was probably going to have to be him; he always did break the silences. He decided to take a preemptively apologetic stance. Rubbing his dad's nose in the supervillain goons probably wouldn't go over well. "The prodigal son returneth, Dad. And I brought trouble, just the way I always do. Sorry."

"This wasn't your trouble son," Osgood said, startling Piper. He wasn't even sure his dad wanted to acknowledge him; admitting that _he'd_ screwed up, not Piper, was thoroughly unexpected. Piper had been trying to give his dad the easy out-he was the ex-supervillain after all! He stared at Osgood in blatant confusion, waiting for Osgood to yell and scream and remind him what an embarrassment and failure he was, because that made much more sense. That much was familiar, if not exactly comfortable.

"I got into money problems with the local 'boys,'" Osgood explained. "When I got their account book I thought I could use it for leverage." Oh for fuck's sake! The man could have gotten his wife and daughter killed! Piper wanted to yell at him that if he was going to mess with supercrime, he should at least call in his ex-con son for a consulting opinion. "You and your friends saved us." Well no shit. "I'm proud of you son."

That last one knocked the wind right out of his sales. Before he even realized it, Piper was crying and Osgood was actually hugging him. He couldn't remember ever being hugged by his father before in his life. Even his mom, who was somewhat more emotional, had only hugged him maybe four or five times while he was growing up.

"Did I miss something?" Wally asked.

Mason roughly yanked him from the room. "Let them have their moment, kid-sheesh!"

"Dad…are you-for real?" Piper stuttered. "This is for real, I'm really home and it's okay and…you're _proud_ of me?"

Osgood smiled shakily. "Your mother says you help people now."

"Hartley always helped people!" Jerrie chimed in. She broke out of Rachel's protective embrace and ran over to squeeze Piper's hand. "He always helped me, and I'm people!"

"Of course you are, sweetheart." Piper pulled her into a tight hug, scarcely able to believe that after years of separation he was seeing her again. "Oh Jer, I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too, Hartley!" Jerrie said, squeezing him back. "Why'd you leave?"

"It's a long story, kiddo. Can we talk about it later instead?"

"Okay Hartley. I like your funny clothes. Can I get a polka dot dress like that too?"

"It's not a dress, it's a tunic."

"It looks like a dress to me."

* * *

"When you said your parents had lots of room, you really weren't kidding," Wally commented. "Musta been nice growing up in a mansion."

"Eh…more lonely than nice." Plus he'd spent most of the 'growing up' years in hospitals recovering from rounds of surgery on his ears. "Mom and Dad said you're welcome to stay as long as you need."

"Cool, but I should be able to find my own place pretty quick." Wally dropped his overnight bag on the floor and then dropped onto the bed. "Is that a big screen TV facing the bed?"

"It is."

"And that door…the guest room has its own bathroom?"

"Yep."

"Dude! This is awesome! You sure I can't just live here? Your folks have a bunch of servants and stuff. I bet they could find a use for a private superhero."

Piper laughed at that. "I don't know. They've got a few issues with costumes."

"Yeah, about that…you okay, dude? You were like…well you were crying earlier. You left a lot out when you said you and your folks had had problems. Everything's cool now, right?"

"I think so." Piper sat down on the desk chair and faced Wally. "They…they threw me out when I was nineteen. The supervillainy was just to support myself because I was scared of being on the street. I was a really naïve little rich kid. Being homeless was kind of terrifying."

"Why'd they throw you out?" Wally asked.

Piper quirked an eyebrow. Did he really have to spell it out? "They weren't happy with my personal life."

"Oh. Well that sucks. But they don't have any issues with it now, right?"

"Nope. I talked to them for like two hours while you and Mason brought Mrs. Garrick back to Keystone. We've agreed not to talk about some things, and as long as I stay out of jail I'm welcome to come by whenever I want. And I get to see my little sister again." He smiled. "I honestly didn't think they were ever going to come around."

"Well that's awesome, dude. So…any chance I can talk you into moving to Keystone too? I mean, if you're mending fences with your family, it'd probably be easier if you were, y'know, _around_ …"

"And then I could continue providing you with backup, intel, and free tech support."

"Yes, yes, and yes. Come on, everybody wins!"

Piper frowned. "I do have a life in New York now, you know. I moved away from here for a reason."

"Yeah, well is that reason still important?" Wally pressed.

Piper frowned, thinking. He actually had no idea where James was at the moment, and besides that he was starting to feel confident enough that it might not matter if he bumped into his ex again. But he did have commitments in New York. The leased apartment with Mark, his volunteer work with Mary-Liz and the squatters, and, most importantly, Michael.

Still though, Wally did have a point. This was his home and he was starting to realize how much he missed Central and Keystone.

"I'll consider it."

"Kay." Wally seemed to be taking Piper's reluctant answer as an affirmative, as he then started chatting animatedly about all the superheroics they'd be getting up to in the twin cities.

* * *

Piper spent a few days at his parents' house, catching up with them and Jerrie, and carefully testing their boundaries. He tried talking with them about Michael, but every time he mentioned his boyfriend to his father Osgood changed the subject. Though Rachel feigned interest and support, she also got visibly uncomfortable.

It was irritating, but agreeing to disagree was loads better than what they'd been doing previously. Piper decided he could handle silence around his love life…assuming silence or pariah-status were the only options.

He made the drive back to New York alone this time, since Wally was occupied and Mason had settled into Keystone too. It was long, dull and lonely, and made him start to miss Michael.

Come to think of it, that was a little odd. He'd been trying to talk about his boyfriend for three days while they were staying in different states, and he only started actually missing him while he was alone.

Well that didn't make him feel like a very good person.

It fit though. His relationship with Michael wasn't exactly an impassioned romance. He'd tried that a few times now and it had ended miserably every time. Piper was pretty sure his recovering mental health wouldn't take it if he were let down again the way he had been with Earl and James. Michael was supportive, older, _safe_ , and much more invested in Piper than Piper was in him. And they could only commit so much, since Michael wanted to move back to England someday…

"Okay, so I'm a bad person," Piper mumbled to himself. He did miss his boyfriend a little though. He wasn't _just_ using Michael to get over James if he actually cared about him a smidge.

Piper considered driving right to Michael's, but the long trip had him feeling grody, so once he was back in the city he drove to the apartment to shower and change. He grabbed his cell and dialed Michael's number while he was jogging up the stairs to the apartment. Maybe they could grab dinner (someplace healthy this time though; dating a pastry chef was not good for the waistline), take a leisurely stroll…and discuss the possibility of Piper moving to Missouri or Kansas.

He was brooding heavily enough over the impending conversation not to notice the people following him up the stairs.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Michael. I'm back in town. Didja want to me-"

THUD

"Piper? Hello? Hartley, are you there?"

* * *

Piper woke up handcuffed to a folding chair. He was blindfolded for some reason. Granted, he'd told very few people about the super hearing, so almost no one knew how useless it was to blindfold him. At any rate, owing to the super hearing he knew he was being held hostage in his own apartment.

Instead of feeling afraid he was mostly annoyed. "Mark? Hello…your hostage is awake! If this is about the utilities, I really don't care that much! You can just keep the money you owe me! Mark?"

It sounded like Mark was in the kitchen…pacing. His heartbeat was a little fast, so he was nervous about something. If he was in trouble he could have just said something. Whacking Piper over the back of the head and cuffing him to a chair was completely unnecessary.

There was a knock at the front door. Piper went silent, listening as Mark walked across the apartment and flung the door open. "Took you long en-who the hell are you?"

"Sorry, I must have the wrong address. Doesn't Piper live here?" Shit, it was Michael!

"No, now get lost."

Mark slammed the door shut, but after some shuffling sounds in the hallway there was another knock on the door. Mark opened it again, breath coming out in angry huffs. "I said to get lost!"

"I'm very sorry, but I just double checked and this is his address. If he's not in, could you just let me know if he's okay? He hung up on me rather suddenly."

"Well maybe you should take a hint."

"MICHAEL! CALL THE COPS! I'M HERE!" Piper started banging his wrists against the chair, which got some good hard clangs out of the metal handcuffs. But Michael didn't come charging to his rescue, instead he continued arguing with Mark. What was going on…?

Michael finally left and Mark went back to his pacing in the kitchen.

Piper shifted in the chair, trying to edge it closer to the doorway. He got a few good bursts of movement in before the chair tipped over and he crashed to the ground. "O-o-ow! MARK OPEN THE GOD DAMN DOOR AND LET ME OUT! You bastard! I've been paying for everything and doing you all these fucking favors and now you're making me a fucking hostage? What the holy hell is wrong with you, and don't think I won't tell the others at the next Rogues convention!"

He screamed some more threats for awhile before giving up, and dejectedly rested his head on the floor.

After a seeming eternity the door finally opened. "Oh, you woke up," Mark said. He bent over to right Piper's chair and Piper bit his hand. "Ow! Fuck you!" He smacked Piper, tipping the chair back over, and then kicked his ribs.

"Argh…what the hell's going on?" Piper groaned.

"Look, Piper, this all needs to go down, but it can go down easily or it can get messy. Now, I'm going to pick your chair back up so we can have a conversation, and if you bite me again I'm going to get my wand and I promise you, you won't like the results."

"The blindfold's a bit redundant. I know we're in the apartment."

Mark righted Piper and his chair, then pulled the blindfold off, looking annoyed. "How'd you figure that out?"

"I'm not doing you any favors," Piper snapped. "Now what the hell is going on? And why are you in your Weather Wizard outfit?"

"Because," Mark snapped back. "I'm working. Now tell me Hartley, what exactly have you been telling the Flash?"

"What?"

Mark hit him again, harder this time, and when the chair hit the ground again Piper spit some blood onto the floorboards. That's when he noticed the little metal boxes by the doorway. Mark had figured out how to use some of his tech, the silencers, which explained why Michael hadn't heard him.

Piper groaned. This _so_ wasn't going to end well.

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

Michael left Piper's apartment feeling anxious to the point of nausea. He couldn't pretend to know much about the danger that came with costumed lifestyles, but at the moment he feared the worst. The man in the bright colored costume (which he'd idiotically tried to hide with a trench coat) must have done something to Piper. He needed help.

Well, Piper had said that the new Flash had a public identity. Maybe he could get in touch with the lad and have him investigate.

The last time Michael had talked to Piper (beyond the interrupted conversation), he'd mentioned staying with his parents in Central City, and that the Flash was staying with them as well until he found a place of his own. Of course the Rathaways were unlisted, but their business wasn't, and after playing phone tag with a host of secretaries Michael finally managed to say the right combination of "Mr. Rathaway's son" and "danger" to actually be able speak to the man himself.

"This is Osgood. What is it?"

"Hello Mr. Rathaway. I, er, I'm not really sure how to tell you this, it's just I was supposed to meet with your son earlier today and, well…things have turned a bit odd. I think he might be in trouble. He'd said the Flash was staying with you. Is that still the case?"

"What kind of trouble?" Osgood asked sharply.

"When I went to his flat there was a strange man in a costume at the door and he wouldn't tell me where Hartley was."

"I see. I'll handle it." And then the man hung up.

Michael hung up, then began pacing, hoping someone would think to tell him if Piper was all right.

* * *

When Wally got the news he left right for Piper's apartment in New York. He took the door off the hinges crashing in, only to find Piper walking through his living room with a suitcase. He was pale, his hands were shaking a bit, and he had some visible bruising and a cut lip.

"Piper! Geeze, what the hell is going on?"

"Oh, hi Wally. Um…yeah, hi."

Wally grabbed the bag out of his hands and then grabbed him by the shoulders and gave him a little shake. "You're okay, right? Your dad got this call, and the dude said there was a guy with a costume and that he attacked you, and then I was like 'oh shit, I've been getting info from a former villain' and I realized how that could make you all kinds of dead if the other bad guys gotpissed _andit'dbemyfaultand_ -"

"Wally, it's okay! I'm fine!" Piper yelled, hoping to cut off what looked like a blossoming super-speed panic attack. "It was just a misunderstanding with my roommate. But um…I do think I'm going to move to Keystone with you."

"Oh, groovy. Is that all you were bringing with you?" Wally asked, noticing how small the suitcase seemed.

"Well yeah. It was kind of a serious misunderstanding, so I wanted to leave quickly. I just grabbed some clothes and a few pipes."

Wally rolled his eyes. He took off in a burst of red, and after about five minutes zipped back into the apartment. "I just rented you a truck. I'll pack it for you. Dude, you are not leaving everything you own here. And while we drive back I want you to tell me what really happened, okay?"

"Wally I…" Piper choked on the words. Wally was looking at him with the most sincere expression of worry and confusion. He wanted to tell him, he just couldn't.

Hell, he'd think of something Wally would believe during the trip. Piper didn't have any other friends who actually cared about his well-being enough for that kind of concern (apparently). He'd engage in some harmless deception to preserve the friendship. It was a bit startling that Wally wanted Piper to confide in him, but Piper was glad for it. He needed that kind of support right now.

"Thank you, Wally."

"No sweat. I look out for my friends. I parked the truck on the curb. Just wait downstairs, I'll have it packed up in a jiff."

A FEW HOURS AGO

"I swear Mark, I haven't told Wally jack about any of the Rogues. I don't know what you want me to say! I'd fucking say it if there was anything to say!"

Mark hit him again. Piper closed his eyes and bit back a sob, determined to save face as much as possible during the beating, but really situations like this were not his strong suit. Earl had always been able to take punches without even flinching, but whenever Piper wound up on the receiving end of a fist his bravado faded fast and he felt like the pathetic nineteen year old rich kid out on the scary streets for the first time all over again (the hypnosis had always kept his physical presence in fights at a minimum). He was scared, hurting, and tormenting himself wondering who had put Mark up to this, since he still hadn't said

"So what, the kid hasn't asked about us?" Mark asked.

"Mark…urgh…you've been on th-three jobs since I've started spending time with Wally…don't you think…that if I was ratting on my f-friends I'd have said something by now? That the Flash would have stopped you? We live together! It wouldn't be hard!"

"So what, you've got an honor code about this?" Mark sneered, obviously not believing Piper.

He did actually respect his relationship with the Rogues enough not to rat on them specifically, but his feelings on that were starting to change. "We were friends."

"Friends don't run with speedsters."

The interrogation was interrupted by Mark's cell phone. He left for a minute and when he returned he had people with him.

Piper was on the ground, still cuffed to the chair, bruised and bloodied, and sure he was presenting a pathetic view to the newcomers. He squinted out of one swollen eye and was just able to identify Blacksmith and Captain Cold. He felt a stab of betrayal. Len? How could Len have anything to do with this?

But Cold didn't look happy about the situation. He crossed his arms over his chest and scowled, then threw Mark a dirty look. "You didn't have to rough him up, Mardon. Show some respect. Hartley was one of us for years."

"He's a traitor," Mark snapped back.

Len carefully righted the chair, fiddled with his gun, and shot a small block of ice into his hand. He gently started patting the cuts and bruises on Piper's face with it. "Sorry, kid. If it were up to me this would be handled by professionals." He threw another dirty look Mark's way and then sent a glare at Blacksmith.

Piper had never actually been in the woman's company before, not having been terribly involved in the Network during his villainous days. Still, like any crook working Central City, he'd made use of the elaborate system of fencing and black market trade from time to time and knew enough about Blacksmith to be able to identify her.

He decided he didn't like her, and it wasn't just because of the circumstances. She was creepy.

"Snart, will you back off? Weather Wizard is handling things fine," she snapped.

"Blacksmith, I never intended to send the Flash after the Network. I promise," Piper put in. "This is ridiculous. I…I wasn't feeding him info on any of you."

"Well suffice it to say we don't plan on relying just on your sense of honor, Rathaway," Blacksmith said, slinking across the room so that she stood in front of him. "We need more insurance than that."

"Especially now that you've mauled him," Len added.

Blacksmith glared at him. "I've had just about enough of your attitude, Snart. I've found your management of the Rogues in the past misguided at best, but this is ludicrously irresponsible. If you don't address this situation it could ruin everything. Even someone with such low goals must be capable of enough vision to at least see that?"

"All I know is, when I give orders we fight speedsters, not each other," Len returned. The two continued to stare at each other with utter loathing before Blacksmith finally returned her gaze to Piper.

"The Network is going to remain secure, Mr. Rathaway. However we manage this, how drastic our measures need to be, are entirely up to you. By all means, continue associating with your speedster. But if you breathe a word of our operation to him we'll make an orphan of you."

"Wh-what?" Piper stared at her. "I-I'm not even talking to my-why would you go after my parents?"

"Don't try to lie to me, Piper. I have informants everywhere and I'm fully aware of your recent reconciliation with your parents," Blacksmith said in a low, cold voice that played havoc with Piper's nerves. "And I'm also aware that you have a little sister. Keep that in mind. If you say anything to the Flash, we'll know. And we'll kill them all."

"But-y-you can't-I didn't say anything! I didn't do anything!"

"Good. Keep that up. Alright Mardon, I'm finished here." Blacksmith started walking towards the door. Len quickly gave Piper's shoulder a squeeze, then stalked across the room after her. He paused for a second in consideration, then punched Mark in the face, hard enough to have him sprawled on the floor.

"Blacksmith, you ignorant broad, this is _not_ how we do things in my city!" Len growled.

"Clearly we have a difference of opinion," Blacksmith agreed. "You prefer to wait to be betrayed before you'll act, while I safeguard against the situation entirely. Perhaps we'd be better served without collaboration from hereon out."

"Going after the kid's family is cheap and cowardly. You'd really kill a little girl for no good reason?"

"Protecting the Network is plenty reason."

"You're a cunt."

"Difference of opinion." Blacksmith's tone was pure venom. "Disagree all you want Snart, it won't keep me from killing the traitor's family if he talks." With that she left.

Mark was dazedly climbing to his feet when Len returned. "Where the hell are the keys to the cuffs, Mardon?"

"On the table. Damn, Flash is lucky he moves too fast to get tapped by you," Mark groaned, rubbing his jaw.

Len removed the handcuffs and made Piper another icepack. "Calm down, kid. I'm gonna fix this. No way in hell that damn evil broad is gonna take over crime in Central on my watch."

"Come on Len, she's not trying to take things over," Mark said. He looked hopefully at Len's cold gun, obviously expecting a block of ice for the bruise that was already blooming on his jaw. Len made no move to make him one and he scowled. "She's just looking out for us, like you should be doing."

"What have I always said, Mark? We need boundaries. If we sink to this kinda level there are going to be consequences, and you damn well won't like them. Killing dames and kids is cheap."

"God Len, we're the bad guys! We don't need an honor code-urk!"

Len pinned Mark to the wall, face an inch from his as he growled out his next speech. "You wanna play with no rules, go to Gotham and see how long you last there. In _my_ city, with _my_ Rogues, we have standards and we're gonna keep having them. Got that, Mardon?" He threw Mark to the ground and then turned back to Piper. "You okay, kid?"

Piper buried his face in his hands, shoulders shaking, hating that he was crying in front of them, but he couldn't help it. It would be so easy for Blacksmith to carry out her threat. He'd never been a high stakes player in the Network, but he knew how extensive it was and how much influence Blacksmith had. Even if he made use of Wally's connections to keep his family safe Blacksmith could get in. His parents and his sister would die and it would be his fault.

"Look, Piper's family will be fine as long as he's not an idiot about this," Mark said.

"Mardon, don't make me hit you again."

"Fine, be that way. I'm leaving. And when I get back Piper, you'd better not friggin' be here!" Mark yelled.

Piper let out a loud sob and cried harder. Len rested a comforting hand on his shoulder for a moment, then left as well.

* * *

They were back in Keystone before Piper remembered to call Michael. He'd lost his cellphone when he'd been attacked in the stairwell so he borrowed Wally's phone to make the call.

"Hey Michael, it's-"

"Hartley! Oh good lord, I've been waiting for you to phone all day. Are you all right? Did anything happen?"

"Y-yeah, uh, I mean, I'm all right and a lot did happen. I…I'm still kind of sorting it out, um…"

"Can you come over? Or can I come over there? I'd, I'd like to see you if I can."

Piper chewed his lip. "That'll be a bit tricky. I, uh, I'm in Kansas. I'm moving back to this area."

"Oh. Are you done with me then?" His voice had gotten quiet and Piper felt a stab of guilt.

"I don't want to be." And that was the truth. He may not have been in love with Michael, but he did like him an awful lot. Piper wasn't willing to discount the possibility of ever loving Michael just yet. "But, well…it's not fair to ask you to move just for me."

"Well let's talk about this, love. Where in Kansas did you move?"

"Keystone City. It's right across the river from Central, where I grew up."

"Where your parents live, isn't it?"

"Y-yeah."

"Oh. Well that is important, now that they're speaking to you again. Hm. Well that's two major cities. I'm sure there are restaurants and bakeries enough for me to find a job."

Piper's eyes widened, a feeling of incredulity almost overwhelming him. "You'd really move out here for me?"

"Darling, I'm already living in a strange city where I barely know anyone, remember? I moved to a different country. Living in a different city in the strange country won't really change much for me. And to state the obvious, I care about you. I've grown rather fond of you these past couple of months."

"M-me too. Okay, well, cool. I'll ask around tomorrow and see who's hiring for chefs."

"All right. Let me know when you're settled and I'll come out for a visit and see what I think. And if you're feeling calmer, maybe you could tell me a bit about this trouble you've had?"

Piper smiled a strained smile. "You can tell I'm still freaked out?"

"Of course. Your voice has a level of calm that's calculated and forced," Michael answered. "You always do that when you're bothered by something important."

"Yeah, I guess I do. Okay, we'll talk when you visit. But I've gotta go. I'm still at Wally's house and I…I need to go check on my parents." And confirm with his own eyes that they were alive and well.

"Okay. Love you, Hartley."

Piper hesitated a fraction of a second before answering. "Love you too. Bye, Michael."

* * *

Len was still in a bad mood when he got back to Central. He stalked around his apartment, kicking over furniture and tossing empty cans and bottles around, grumbling a swear filled rant under his breath.

"Damn, glad I'm not Blacksmith then."

Len whipped around, then did a double take because James Jesse was floating outside his window and last he'd heard the kid was still in California.

He looked different, but in a good way. The sun had lightened his hair a little and tanned his skin a lot, and he was wearing a snazzy new costume which, though still designed around clashing stripes, was more flattering than the old baggy blue and yellow number with the collared cape.

"Hey JJ, good to see you again," Len said with a nod, hoping to get some good news out of the day. Trickster had had his back when Roscoe had been trying to undermine him before the man's sudden death, as had Piper and Sam. With Piper reformed and Sam dead, Len didn't have that many loyal Rogues in his corner anymore if Blacksmith did choose to challenge his leadership.

James climbed inside and turned his airwalker boots off. "Yeah, glad to be back. So why's Blacksmith got your panties in a twist?"

Len scowled. "Long story." And one James probably wouldn't want to hear, considering his past with Piper. "I heard you went legit when you were out in California, but unless my eyes deceive me that's a Gambi number. You looking to rejoin the Rogues?"

James made an iffy motion with his hand. "Still thinking about it. I heard Piper's reformed...and sane again?" James kept his voice casual, but there was no mistaking the look in his eyes.

"You really fucked with his head you know, cutting out on him like you did."

"I didn't have much of a choice at that point. If I'd stayed they'd have been preparing a padded cell for me next to him within a week. Len, is he better?"

Len sighed. "Mostly."

James broke out into a relieved smile. "Good! And yeah, it is a Gambi costume, natch. I asked him to make something that was still me, but, y'know, more attractive by conventional standards. He said not everyone can pull off striped pants like I do. Ya think Piper'll like-Len, why are you trying to kill me with your eyes?"

"Now's not the best time to go oozing your way back into Hartley's pants."

"Len, come on. You know how I feel about him. What happened before, that was just circumstances. I still love him," James said, frowning.

"Just don't hurt him again, got it? Kid's got enough on his plate right now."

"...What's going on?"

Well, he did look worried. And Len did want to bitch about Mark and Blacksmith. Against his better judgment, he told James everything.

 

 


	8. Chapter 8

"I want it in a cone, Hartley. Can I have it in a cone?"

"Sorry Jer, but Mom'll lock us in the yard and have the maid spray us with a hose before we're allowed back in the house if we get cones. They're all drippy." Piper turned away from his sister to pay for their ice creams. The cashier looked a little startled. "Cups please."

"R-right. Those'll be right up." The girl came back a moment later with their ice creams and after she handed them off she gave Piper an unusually large stack of napkins.

Jerrie pouted all the way out of the ice cream shop and to the park bench. "Daddy lets me get cones."

"Really?"

"Yup."

"Huh. They didn't let me have cones even when I was a teenager. Sorry, sweetheart."

"It's okay. Thanks for letting me get gummy bears and hot fudge on mine. Daddy doesn't let me do that." Her sundae did look like a lump of diabetic-coma, but Piper felt the need to spoil her a little. Jerrie was younger than him by enough for the years he'd missed to have been important ones. He had some lost time to make up for.

"So do Mom and Dad make you carry a napkin with you in the sitting room if you have a drink, or go outside to eat a popsicle?" Piper asked curiously.

"Nope."

"Wow. They've really loosened up then."

Jerrie swung her legs from the bench and happily ate her ice cream. After a few contented licks she put her sticky little hand in Piper's. "I'm glad you're back, big brother. And not just because you gave me ice cream."

"I'm glad I'm back too. I really did miss you."

"So why'd you leave? You still never told me." She looked at him with big, earnest looking blue eyes.

Piper frowned. He'd decided that he had to tell her something, he just wasn't sure how to say what needed to be said.

"Look, Jer…I was, I wasn't acting like myself for awhile. I was getting into trouble all the time and playing with some bad people, and I wouldn't ever apologize for any of it."

"Really? Even though you knew you were being bad? Hartley, that's not right. You're always s'posed to apologize when you're bad," she lectured. Piper attempted a look of repentance to suit his little sister's kindly but stern gaze, but quickly gave it up.

"Hey, you're smarter than me sometimes." He bopped her nose. "I'm sorry now, but I wasn't then. I was sick and it made me confused. So Dad told me not to come home unless I got better. And I'm better now, so there's nothing to worry about."

"Daddy shouldn't have told you to go away. I missed you and it hurt my heart."

Piper gave her hand a squeeze, taking a second to answer around his suddenly constricted throat. "He was just trying to protect you, sweetheart. He didn't know I'd never hurt you, even when I was bad."

"Well don't let it happen again," she said sternly.

"I won't. Cross my heart." Piper wasn't planning on ever letting anything get between him and his family again.

A lot had changed in the two weeks since he'd moved to Keystone. For one, he'd been over his parents' house almost daily, playing with Jerrie, having evening cocktails with his mother, and stealthily upgrading their security. He'd gotten Michael a job at Chez Ennui and his boyfriend was going to be moving out to his own place in Central (since they weren't _quite_ ready for the commitment of living together) by the end of the month.

He'd been a little worried about bumping into the Rogues, but mostly they seemed to be avoiding him. The only one of them he'd seen was Rainbow Raider, when he'd taken Jerrie to Plaster Funtime. The clueless, mostly harmless criminal had sat down with them and painted a piggybank. When Jerrie was in the bathroom, Piper had quickly asked him some pointed questions and gleaned that Roy, at least, had no idea about Piper's problems with the Network. He didn't even seem to be aware that Piper had reformed.

Piper missed the brief camaraderie he'd enjoyed with the Rogues after getting out of the hospital, but mostly it didn't bother him that much not to hear from them. He was a bit surprised about Len though.

"Hartley, do you want a bite of my ice cream? It's tastier than yours."

"How do you know?" Piper asked, amused.

"Because you just got vanilla without whipped cream or even a cherry. Trust me," Jerrie said seriously. "Frozen gummy bears make mine yummier than yours. Wanna try?"

"It's okay, I like mine. Thank you though."

"Well I'm surprised. Vanilla is certainly not a word I'd associate with you, Piper."

Piper stiffened at the sound of _that_ voice. He trained his eyes on the ground, cursing himself for not hearing the man approach. He used to have everything about James Jesse memorized, including heartbeat and breathing. Piper didn't look up. He couldn't.

"Hartley, Hartley! What's wrong?" Jerrie asked.

"Nothing, Jer. C'mon, let's go." Piper took her hand and started walking towards his car. He passed by James without looking, walking almost too quickly for Jerrie to keep up with him.

"Hartley, wait! I wanna finish my ice cream!"

"Hey yeah, don't ruin the sibling bonding time on my account," James put in, gliding up to them effortlessly with his jet sho-boots (recent change, from the look of it). "I take it this is your little sister. Jerrie, right?"

"Hartley, who is he and why's he flying?" Jerrie whispered.

"You know how I said I had some bad friends when I was sick? He's one of them. That's why we're leaving. Now come on, sweetheart, and make sure you don't talk to him."

"Piper, wait! Will you give me a chance to-" James stopped mid plea at the look of raw pain on Piper's suddenly unguarded face.

"Stay away from me."

"Okay."

* * *

Piper stayed at his parents' house for another few hours after getting ice cream. He spent most of the time playing with Jerrie, and occasionally reassuring her that the flying man wasn't scary, he wouldn't hurt her brother, and everything was okay.

Then he went downstairs to tip his parents off about the day's excitement.

"Mom, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Of course darling, but I'm watching my shows. Can we do it during commercials?"

He sighed. "Where's Dad?"

Doing this with Rachel would have been so much easier. He wasn't exactly close to either of his parents, but he was at least able to talk to his mom. Every time he talked to Osgood he was half-convinced he'd get disowned again if their conversation lingered too long on any one subject.

"Oh, fine, if you're going to be like that." Rachel muted the TV and put on subtitles. "Now, what's so important?"

"I had a talk with Jerrie and I gave her a really simplified version of why I was gone so long."

" _Hartley_ , there's really no need-"

"Yes, Mom, there is," Piper said, talking over her. "Jerrie's developmentally impaired, not stupid. She knows there was something big wrong, and she hates being lied to and brushed off. Don't worry, I put most of it on me. I said I was sick and that it made me do bad things so I had to go away until I got better."

"Well I guess that's all right. Is that all?"

"No. I…while we were out, um, an old, ah… _friend_ of mine…he came over to say hi and I panicked. I told Jerrie he was one of the bad men I talked to when I was sick and it made her nervous."

"Rightly so," Rachel said, looking horrified. "You actually let one of those men near your sister?"

"No, of course not! He came over to us and I left as fast as I could. I promise Mom, James is not anything to worry about though. He'd never hurt Jerrie, okay?"

"And who was this James to you?" Rachel asked. "I take it he was one of those costumed men. Oh! Not the one with those horrid fire guns-"

"That's Mick Rory, and he's actually not that bad. No, James, is the Trickster. He uses yo-yos and pies and stuff. We, um…we lived together before my breakdown. That's, um, how I know…well, he's not going to hurt Jerrie. He's not like that."

Something about the shift in Piper's demeanor when he talked about James penetrated Rachel's bubble of self-absorption. She noticed that her son was hurting.

"Dear, when you say you lived together…you mean he was your…oh, what's that word they use? Your partner? In the romantic sense, not the robbing banks sense."

"Yeah, Mom. I love him."

"Oh. Well, this is rather difficult then, isn't it? He wants to get back together, I take it?" she asked.

"I…I guess. I don't really know. I didn't let him speak. I…he hurt me, Mom. He hurt me a lot."

"Mm. Plus you've already got a boyfriend who isn't a criminal," Rachel reminded him. "Michael, wasn't it? Hartley dear, are you okay?"

He shook his head, then wiped at his eye with his thumb. "I-I've never felt for Michael what I do for…Mom, I still love James. I never got over him all the way when he dumped me. I thought I did, but…"

Rachel held his hand and smiled reassuringly at him. "I know dear, and it hurts. But you've got to do what's best. Sometimes love and stability don't go together."

Piper shot her a questioning look. "Mom, are you saying-"

"I'm saying you can learn to love what's good for you," Rachel said, conviction in her tone. "Hartley, you're going to have a difficult enough time raising a family with the circumstances you've already thrust upon yourself. Don't make it worse by choosing the bad boy, even if the bad boys are more enticing."

"I don't want to start a family," Piper protested.

"Of course you do, dear. Oh, I forgot. I asked at the salon and they gave me that magazine with the write up on artificial insemination I was telling you about. I saved it for you somewhere and I was thinking when you and Michael are ready for that, I know a lovely girl who waitresses at the country club. She'd make a wonderful surrogate. She's got the biggest blue eyes you've ever seen, and she's such a delightful girl."

"Mom, I forgot, I gotta get going. There's a-a thing. With Wally. City in peril and all that."

"Oh all right. Goodnight, darling."

"Night."

He gave himself a little shake when he got outside into the cool night air. "So she's picking out wombs for me now. Great."

* * *

James went for a nice long walk over the park, thinking over his first meeting with Piper since their split. Obviously, he was going to have to approach things differently in the future.

Len was right. He'd hurt Piper more than he'd thought. A lot more, based on how spooked he'd been.

Still though, courting Piper the first time around hadn't been easy either. And he knew how worth it it was. He wasn't going to stop until they were together, blissfully happy, just like before. Besides, this time he didn't even have a Fury to worry about. He just needed to be persistent.

Persistence would win out.

* * *

The next morning Piper met up with Wally to apparently hang out. He'd worn his costume, as had Wally, but he wasn't pressed into any kind of team up, for which Piper was grateful. He was far too distracted to be any good in active crime fighting at the moment, and still smarting from a recent mess with Grodd and some mind-controlled animals (although at least he'd managed to be somewhat useful with that grass whistle).

Eventually he'd get around to expanding his arsenal of sound guns, since he was pretty sure his hypnotic abilities were unethical and was now reluctant to use them. The stakes were higher as a superhero. When he'd been on the other side he'd had control over just how dire the stakes could get.

Wally chatted amiably about the adventure he'd had the other day, taking in some tax dodger with a posse of meta bodyguards, and Piper listened half-heartedly while he played a pipe, wondering for the billionth time if he should confide in his friend about his sudden deluge of personal problems.

Piper wondered if, despite the clandestine power of the Network, Wally might actually be able to do something to take Blacksmith down before his parents suffered the consequences. The irony being that Piper had never intended to set Wally on the Network until they'd come after him to ensure their own safety from speedster intervention. Still though, he wasn't willing to gamble his family's lives on Wally's abilities, and as far as he could tell, Blacksmith wasn't actively going after the Rathaways. Silence it would be then.

He was also tempted to unload about bumping into James the other day. Lord knows Piper had had to put up with enough of Wally bitching about his relationship woes with Connie that he really should get to vent a little about his own problems. At the same time though, he'd never mentioned that while being a supervillain he'd actually dated a couple of other villains. He didn't want Wally to think he couldn't be trusted on team ups or anything because he had feelings for Fury and Trickster.

All this passed through Piper's mind while he gave some polite responses to Wally's chatter, and when he gave his full focus back to the conversation he realized they were talking about how flamboyant the Joker was.

'Wait…he can't really think that _that's_ what gay men are…oh wow.' And then Piper realized that Wally had no idea he was gay. Hadn't it come up? Piper was pretty sure he'd told Wally his parents threw him out because he was…no, he'd said it was his personal life, hadn't he? Still though, that was an _obvious_ euphemism…but was it obvious enough for Wally?

Wow, the boy really was just that dense, wasn't he? Piper decided to play with him a little.

"The Joker…gay? Like I said, we didn't exchange secrets, but I've never seen any reason to believe…"

"Sure," Wally interrupted. "But guys like that, you can always tell…there are signals." Oh ho ho, really now? Piper wasn't sure if this was sad or hilarious.

"He kills people Wally. He's a sadist and a psychopath," Piper said, starting to feel a little annoyed. If that's what Wally thought of the gay community this conversation might not end so well. "I doubt he has real human feelings of any kind. He's not gay Wally. In fact, I can't think of any super villain who is…" Piper pretended to puzzle it out (since he had no intention of outing Earl and James to Wally anyway), and watched as the kid took the bait, reacting with interest to Piper's gossipy tone.

"Not one…?"

"Well, except me, of course," Piper said, and watched Wally's expression shift to shock. Well really, he hadn't been hiding it!

"But you knew that, right?" Piper asked.

"Me? Oh, sure…I mean, how could I not know something as…as…" Wally stammered, a fixed smile on his face.

"And it doesn't…bother you?" Piper pressed, trying not to enjoy Wally's discomfort too much, since there was an undercurrent of genuine tension there.

"Me? Gosh, no! Oops, look at the time! Got an appointment Piper. Gotta run."

"Right. Glad it didn't bother you," Piper mumbled as Wally took off down the side of the building.

And it looked like a little bit of teasing had just destroyed his friendship with the naïve, apparently homophobic Nebraska boy. Obviously he would have had to come out to the clueless idiot at some point (though Piper still didn't consider himself closeted, dammit!), but he probably should have chosen his words more carefully.

He went over the conversation in his head a few times on his way home. No…it really wasn't that bad. Shit, was there anything he could have said to keep Wally from running off that building? Scowling, Piper went upstairs to get changed, then flopped onto his couch and turned on his stereo.

He glanced at a workout tape on the coffee table, and then to some mostly untouched exercise equipment in front of the TV. Working out seemed just as unappealing now as it had the last few times he'd stared down the pile of good intentions.

He decided to call Jerrie and see if she wanted to go out for ice cream again.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Piper comes out to Wally in Flash #53, vol. 2. I lifted that dialogue verbatim from the comic, and if you haven't read that issue yet I highly recommend tracking down a copy. Wally as the well-meaning, unintentionally offensive, and completely oblivious straight friend is like the best thing ever.


	9. Chapter 9

Piper took Jerrie back to his house to eat their ice cream cones in drippy freedom (even if Jerrie was allowed to have them now, Piper still felt uncomfortable eating messy foods in his childhood home) and play a few rounds of Candyland. He was about to win after two successive losses when two things happened at once; Piper pulled Plumpy, and Wally ran into the living room.

"Eeee!" Jerrie jumped behind Piper, sending the board into complete disarray. "Is he one of the bad men too, Hartley?"

"No Jerrie, that's Wally! Calm down, it's okay, you know him."

"Oh…oh yeah." Jerrie cautiously edged around her brother and smiled shyly at Wally.

"Sorry to scare you, sweetheart. Uh…I take it this is a bad time?" Wally asked.

Piper looked down at the Plumpy card in his hand. "It's not _that_ bad a time. I'm just surprised to see you again…given the talk this morning."

"Huh? Why? Oh, cuz you told me you were gay! No, dude, that's fine. I just…uh, does your sister know?" Wally asked belatedly. Piper rolled his eyes.

"Do I know what, Hartley?" Jerrie asked.

He bopped her nose. "He's wondering if you know that I like Michael."

"Oh, your special friend? Everyone knows that!"

Piper was sure he turned a little red, repressing that laugh. Wally looked defensive. "Well I guess I'm not everyone! Uh, sorry, I probably shouldn't yell. Hey Jerrie, can I steal your big brother for a quick second? I need to talk to him about something."

"Sure. I'll reset the board since I got it all messy. Do you want to play with us Mr. Flash?"

"Sorry kiddo, I don't have time right now. Some other time though. Totally dibsing the red gingerbread man when we do play."

Piper brought Wally into the kitchen and then fixed him with an expectant stare. "So…?"

"Uh…I've had some time to think and I realized running off the building was bad form."

Piper nodded. "Good start. Anything else?"

"Yeah…" Wally cringed. "Look, we're friends, okay? I don't want that to change. But, well, I can't pretend it doesn't make me a little uncomfortable. I don't know any gay guys. If you'd ever seen the town I'm from you'd kind of understand why if there are any gays, they're staying the hell in the closet. It's just not something I'm used to. _But we're friends_. I wanna get used to it. Is that okay or are you mad at me?"

Piper smiled wryly. "That certainly works for me. Wally…thank you. I'll try to be understanding when you inevitably say something repulsive again."

"Whaddya mean again? Was I that bad?"

"If your mental default of gay is Joker, bad doesn't even begin to cover it," Piper said. "But trying is important and I'm glad you consider us friends."

"Curiosity thing…you're not remotely closeted, are you?" Wally asked. Piper shook his head. "Were you when you were a villain?"

"I was at first, but I stopped actively trying to hide it at a certain point. The Rogues all know."

"For real? And they were okay with it?"

Piper made an iffy motion with his hand. "They liked making use of my hypnosis so they were okay with it enough for team ups. What were Len's words? Something like 'he could sleep with horses for all I care, as long as he gets the job done.’ The Top thought I was an immoral degenerate, and never saw the irony in a supervillain criticizing another supervillain's morals, and Boomerang and Weather Wizard were always jumpy about the possibility of me hitting on them, which wasn't actually a possibility mind you, but the others never really said much."

"Ah…" Wally frowned thoughtfully. "Now I kinda wonder how the heroes would take it. Uh, I've kinda wondered about one of my buddies…for years actually. Wouldn't want to be keeping him in the closet or anything if he's afraid of judgment from us. But he does date girls."

"Yes, well there are these people called bisexuals, Wally-"

"I know, I know! I think he's bi, but it also seems like a bad idea to tell someone their sexual preference."

Piper nodded, glad he didn't have to teach Wally that one. "So we're good then?"

"Hell yeah we're good," Wally agreed. "Oh, by the by, I could actually use a favor from you if you're not, well obviously you're busy. Uh, when you're done playing with your sister, d'ya think you could help me save Jimmy Olsen's life?"

"Who's Jimmy Olsen?" Piper asked.

"Supreman's best friend."

"Oh. Well I guess I shouldn't say no then."

* * *

Piper spent the better part of the day with Wally and Superman, which had the potential to be awkward, but Superman turned out to be amazingly nice. Piper wondered if it was delusional to hope that all of Wally's Cape friends would be as non-judgmental about him being an ex-con. Superman took off once Jimmy was safe, thanking them both again for their help, and then they went back to Keystone and split a pizza.

"So I might be overcompensating and just seeing everything you do as gay now, since you've been gay all along and I didn't notice," Wally started, and Piper tried not to cringe, "But were you checking out Superman's ass?"

Piper rolled his eyes. "I'm not interested in Superman. I've already got a boyfriend."

"Yeah, your sister gave me that impression. Well I'm taken too, but I still look."

Piper reached for another slice of pizza. "So he's got a nice ass…"

"Ha! Okay, well so you know, if things don't work out with Michael you shouldn't go after Superman-"

"Believe me, I wasn't planning on it," Piper said, cutting Wally off. "I'm not actually planning on hitting on anybody in the Justice League, like ever. Ever-ever-ever."

Wally regarded him with some confusion. "Why not? Well, I mean, pretty sure everyone's straight, but then I was pretty sure you were too-"

"You know we've actually got a word for that one. We call it heteronormative perception."

"Ah huh, well right. But if someone was gay you could probably go for it. There are some pretty cool guys in the League. Plus, I'm pretty sure we're all considered pretty."

"Yes, but I'm a reformed supervillain."

"So? Batman dates those all the time."

Piper frowned, trying to figure out how to explain this to Wally. "Your friends aren't going to get along with me."

"How do you know that?" Wally pressed. "Superman seemed to like you okay."

"While I was doing him a favor."

"Piper, stop being so cynical. Supes certainly isn't. He's nice like that to everybody…well, everybody except Lex Luthor. You don't have to be so guarded when you're around superheroes now. You're one of us, remember?"

Piper shrugged noncommittally. "I'd kind of assumed that the League, at least the older members, were mostly going to be a bit more like your uncle."

"Well yeah, I guess," Wally said. "They're pretty good at being role models and it comes easier for most of them than it does for me. Kinda wish I had that moral upright quality as a default like Uncle Barry did. More often than not I feel like I'm screwing up his legacy, but I am trying my best. That's gotta count for something."

Piper offered him a small smile. "I'm not sure how much this is worth, since I didn't actually like your uncle, but I think you're already a better Flash than he was. You've already come a long way, Wally, and you're getting better all the time. Your uncle…don't take this the wrong way, but he had a tendency to write people off."

"What do you mean?" Wally asked, guarded tone reminding Piper just how much of a touchy subject this was for his friend. He probably should have avoided talking about Barry Allen entirely. But now that he'd started he had to elaborate.

"Well, it's just…just cop mentality. Eventually a lot of them get sort of 'us vs. them' and they lose the shades of grey. I doubt Barry would ever have tried to help me reform. He was always going to see me as evil. You don't cling so hard to your first impressions of people. Your willingness to learn, to be wrong sometimes, to empathize…it's great. I hope some of your superhero friends can learn a little of that from you."

"Barry was a good guy, Piper."

"I'm sure he was. But I was never in a place to see it."

Wally sighed. "Fair enough, I guess. Hard to like someone when they're always carting you off to jail."

'And subjecting you to superspeed strip-searches, and vertigo attacks, and siccing angry ostriches on you,' Piper added mentally, but wisely refrained from mentioning. "I'd better head in. Wally…thanks."

"Hey, no problem. You're always covering me for everything-"

"Not the pizza, you idiot," Piper said with a grin. Wally quirked an eyebrow. "For…for being a good friend."

"Oh. Yeah, no problem," he answered, in a somewhat confused tone. Like it went without saying that you were supposed to be there for your friends when they needed it.

Piper was never going to get used to that.

* * *

Of course the phone would ring almost as soon as Piper got out of the shower. He hastily dried himself off, pulled on a pair of pajama pants, and answered the phone, cringing as his hair dripped down his back.

Well, it could have been important. It probably wasn't, but it might have been, which was a big difference about switching sides. When he'd been a Rogue selfishness was part of the game, and if he didn't answer when his costumed cohorts called the worst that happened was he missed a nice juicy take from a lucrative heist. If he ignored his costumed cohorts now that he was one of the good guys and his unique knowledge of sonics or things seedy somehow contributed to saving the world, evil triumphing over good was directly his fault.

"Hello?"

"Hello, love. Are you busy?"

And then of course it could just be his boyfriend. "Nope. Just hanging in tonight. I had kind of a crazy morning with Wally. Why? Did you want to do something?"

"I'd absolutely love to, but I can't make another late night of it or they'll murder me at work in the morning."

"Well…you could come by for like an hour. I mean, as long as you don't leave _too_ late…"

"And when, dearest, have we ever managed that? I'm not going to delude myself. If I go over to your place I'll spend the night, and neither of us will get much sleep. I'll be much too distracted by your delectable young body."

Piper laughed. "So why are you calling me?"

"Because I've had a horrid day and I wanted to hear your voice."

"Poor baby. Why'd your day suck?" Piper asked. He grabbed a towel for his hair and started for his bedroom.

"I think I may have to work somewhere a little less posh. These wealthy people who come in, they're all so rude. I think they may be worse here than they were in New York. You wouldn't believe the things the poor wait staff has to put up with-"

"Actually, I probably would believe it, because my parents and their friends are the yuppies harassing your coworkers. Speaking of my parents and our circle, my mom picked out a womb for us if we ever wanted to try artificial insemination."

"Oh. I suppose that's thoughtful."

"Baby, you can be horrified. I already am."

"Oh good, because that is a bit bizarre. I suppose it's intended as a show of affection?"

"Mm…nah. More like her being a control freak." Piper sat down on his bed and ran a hand down his back, which was now almost as wet as when he'd been in the shower. "Sorry Michael, but I gotta let you go. My hair's dripping everywhere. Can I call you back?"

"Sure. Wouldn't want your lovely hair to have to dry in a queer lump."

"Shut it, you like my hair."

"I do. Very much so. Bye, love."

"Bye." Piper hung up and started taking care of his hair, when he heard something outside his window.

He went over to the closet first to put on a t-shirt, then pulled up his blinds.

James was standing outside looking a bit sheepish. He offered a little wave. "Hey, Piper. Uh…this isn't as creepy as it looks, I swear. I was just trying to figure out what to say to you before getting your attention myself, but the robot ears preempted me. So really, there's no need to be all pissy…right?"

Piper flung the window open, fixing him with a glare. "I thought I made myself clear the other day, James. _Go away_."

"Look, I get talking to you when you were with your sister was a bad idea. M'sorry. But, well, don't you think we should talk about what happened?"

"You broke up with me while I was drugged to the gills, left me a note, a _fucking note_ , and now that I'm healthy again, you suddenly want me back. And I've told you no. And now you're spying on me. I think that's everything. Good night." He started to shut the window again, but James grabbed it and pulled the other way.

"Hey- _hey_! That is so not everything! What about my side?"

"Your side?" Piper sneered, but he stopped trying to close the window.

"Yeah, I do have a side. I didn't know if you were ever getting better, Pookie."

"James, _do not call me that_."

"Sorry, sorry!" James held up his hands. "Look, like I said, I didn't know if you were ever going to get better. I stuck it out as long as I could, but you were only getting worse. Try to imagine that, Piper. I know you cared about me as much as I cared about you. Wouldn't it kill you to see someone you loved suffering, confusing things and…and geeze Piper, sometimes you thought I was a hallucination. You thought I was a hallucination more often than not by the end of it. If I'd known you were coming back I'd have stuck it out, I swear I would have, but…but sleeping in our bed without you was driving _me_ crazy. I was one crying fit short of joining you in the hospital so I left to save myself. Because I just got so weak without you. I never stopped loving you, I swear. Loving you as much as I do was part of the problem."

"James…"

"I am so unbelievably sorry I hurt you. You know me. You know I'd never do that on purpose."

Piper's resolve was starting to crumble. "I…I know. I…" He needed to tell him about Michael. That he'd moved on.

He'd moved on, dammit. He didn't still want James.

James leaned in through the window and kissed him, and Piper kissed him back without hesitation. He tangled his fingers in the soft blond hair he sometimes still dreamed about running his hands through, even while he was sleeping in Michael's arms, and inhaled James' scent through his nose while their tongues and lips and teeth clashed in a passionate, desperate kiss.

James ambled in through the window without ever breaking the kiss. They fell back against Piper's bed, James landing on top of him. He pulled back for a moment to gaze fondly at Piper, as though he couldn't believe they were doing this again. Reverently, he caressed Piper's cheek with his thumb. "God Hartley, I missed you so-"

"Don't talk or I'll come to my senses," Piper warned him. Something like fear passed through James' eyes. He nodded, and initiated another impassioned kiss.

Piper's hands were still curled in James' hair as his warm mouth moved southwards, and then the phone started ringing.

He let it ring.

 


	10. Chapter 10

When Piper woke up he felt like shit and he didn't know why. Sure, things had kind of sucked lately, but his life was starting to come back together in a way that was arguably the best it had ever been. He was home again, he was talking to his family (still alive, functioning as leverage maybe, but still alive), he was in a healthy relationship, he…

He was naked in bed with a man who was _not_ his boyfriend.

Oh. Well that's why he felt like shit.

He was lying on his side facing the wall and James was attached to his back with his arms locked around Piper's waist in a fierce, clinging cuddle, his face nuzzled up to his neck so that Piper could feel his every contented exhalation. It would have been cozy if this were the right boyfriend.

Slowly, carefully, Piper attempted to pry James' hands apart and slip out of the embrace. James let out a breathy little whine and cuddled harder.

Piper froze, hoping he hadn't woken James up. This was going to be awkward…he seriously considered hypnotizing James into a deadened sleep so he could run away.

He didn't though, instead spending the time arguing with himself about the ethics of hypnotism, and James woke up.

"Mmm…Pookie? Everything okay?" James asked groggily.

"James, I am not your Pookie. Will you please let me go?"

The cold tone of voice woke him right up. James shifted away from Piper and sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Sorry, sorry. I regressed in my sleep. Thought we were still a happy couple for a few seconds there. It was pretty cool. Um, should I stop talking again?"

Piper determinedly faced the wall and pulled the sheet more firmly around him. Looking at his extremely attractive ex naked and ravished in bed was not going to help the situation any.

James was pretty much the opposite of Michael, all young lean muscle, with his devastatingly handsome smile, mischievously sparkling blue eyes and golden hair (which suited him long just as well as it had short). It's not that Piper wasn't attracted to Michael, but he did realize he'd traded down and that by rights he shouldn't have been capable of seducing James in the first place (extra true with the twenty or so pounds he'd put on since switching meds while dating a chef).

"Hartley, the morning after doesn't have to be quite this awkward. Can you say something? I mean, I know it's going to take more than one speech and, if I may say so, some damn fine loving to get you to trust me again, but obviously you still feel something for me, so-"

"James, I've got a boyfriend."

"Oh." James' voice faltered and he grew quiet for a long moment. "Should have expected that, I guess. Um…is he, like, a swinger, or do you guys have an open relationship or…something?"

Piper let out a small sob, then hugged a pillow to his chest and stifled more noises of that kind. "No…no…it was the normal m-monogamous sort. Oh fuck, I'm an asshole! I cheated on him. He loves me, and I lied and said I loved him even though I…and I…I keep seeing him even though I _don't_ love him and he moved all this way for me and now I'm cheating on him!" He hugged the pillow to his face and let out a good loud sob, then tried to calm down, because having that panic attack while still in bed with James was just not good timing.

"Um…just noticing that, uh, you said 'cheating' not 'cheated'. Does that mean we can do this again sometime?"

* * *

James reflected, while he was getting dressed on the sidewalk outside Piper's house, that though he'd confirmed Piper's continued feelings for him overall he'd probably done more harm than good for his cause.

He needed a new strategy. Perhaps it was time to make use of the info Len had given him.

* * *

Piper was still in bed hugging a pillow while having a staring contest with the wall some hours later when he heard the rushing sounds and quick slapping of boots that signified a superspeed approach to his house. Distantly, he thought about getting up and at least putting real clothes on (he was wearing pajama pants), but he was still too depressed and lethargic to do more than stare at the wall, so Wally ran in, did a quick search, and found Piper in his bedroom.

He ran right back out again and knocked on the open door. "Uh…Piper? Can we talk?"

"Now's not the best time."

"Y'know Mason was driving by this morning and he said he saw you tossing a naked blond guy onto the street. This not being a good time have anything to do with that?"

Sighing, Piper sat up and pulled on a t-shirt. "I'm decent, you can come in."

Wally walked in and sat down on the end of the bed. "Dude, you okay? What's up?"

Piper rubbed at his eyes with the heel of his hand. "Wally, do you actually want me to talk about my private life with you?"

"Well, I mean if it'll make you feel better. It'd be kinda fair. You've had to listen to me go on and on about…about Connie, so, y'know…just don't talk about any of the ickier details and I'll be fine. So who was the blond dude?"

"My ex-boyfriend."

"Oh." Wally looked confused. "I thought you said you were dating a guy named Michael?" Piper's face crumpled and a light bulb went off in Wally's head. "He…wasn't Michael, was he?"

Piper shook his head, then bit his finger and willed himself to calm down. "Nope…wasn't my boyfriend. I…yeah, I don't think I'm going to have a boyfriend for much longer, actually. Shit. I really messed up, Wally. I should never have…it's, it's just the thing of it is, I thought I was over James. But once he was here it was…it was different."

"Well that sucks. You're sure Michael's gonna dump you? I mean, you said it was a mistake. Maybe you guys can work through it." Wally didn't even sound like he believed that.

Piper shook his head. "No, even if he doesn't dump me I think I'd better break it off. It's not fair to keep dating him when I don't feel as strongly for him as he does for me. I don't want to keep hurting him. I…I really don't want to have this conversation with him though."

Wally nodded his agreement. "Yep. That one's gonna blow. You know what though? Connie called and she wants me to head over ASAP for some big talk, and you know how it is with girls. Well, maybe you don't know from firsthand experience, but anyway, when they start out with 'we really need to talk', you know it's not gonna be anything you wanna hear. So you go talk to Michael and I'll go talk to Connie and then afterwards we can commiserate together and sit around throwing cards into a hat."

If nothing else, Wally was a wonderful source of distraction from personal woe. "I think I've missed something. Did you say we should sit around throwing cards into a hat?"

"Yeah. That's what you do with your bros when one of them's having relationship issues. You know what, since it's both of us we should probably get two decks. Or an Uno deck. There's more cards in an Uno deck."

"Whatever you say. Yeah, that sounds good. I'll call you after I've talked with Michael."

"Kay. Hey Piper, don't beat yourself up too much," Wally said, looking worried. "You are okay, right?"

No, not in the least. He felt like a selfish asshole, who, thanks to his constant screwing up, was going to get his family killed and was going to hurt a sweet man who'd only ever been kind to him. Still though, Wally did look awfully concerned, so Piper forced up a weak little smile. "I'm alright."

"Kay. See you later."

* * *

"Oh, hello, Hartley. Well come on in. Bit early for you to be up and about, isn't it?" Michael asked, stepping aside to let Piper in.

"I have been known to wake up before noon on some rare occasions," Piper said. He kicked his shoes off and followed Michael into the living room. They sat down together on the couch and Michael frowned, noticing Piper's demeanor.

"What's wrong, love? It's not that nasty business with the Network again, is it?"

"No, nothing new on that front. I don't think they're going to do anything until they feel they have to," Piper said. He was working on establishing better connections with crooks he knew to be active in the Network, trying to get wind of Blacksmith's projects and plans or even just hear the occasional rumor. So far it sounded like business had returned to normal, which was a relief. He was just going to have to pay closer attention to them from now on.

"So what is it?" Michael asked, taking Piper's hand in his and gazing at him with a mix of concern and affection in his warm brown eyes. Piper cringed.

"I…Michael, I am so, so sorry. My ex-boyfriend came by last night and I, um, I had a moment of weakness and sheer stupidity and-"

"Hartley, will you just say it?" Michael asked in a hushed but commanding voice. He sat up a little straighter, no longer leaning in towards Piper with that relaxed, informal body language he was used to.

Piper swallowed uncomfortably. "I slept with James last night. Michael, I'm really sorry-"

"Don't." He let Piper's hand fall from his, then suddenly stood up and started pacing. "You know what, never mind what I just said. Do, please do. Explain to me why on earth you'd do something like that. I never expected that of you, Hartley. Seems like you'd have the decency to ditch the old man before you moved on to someone more your speed. I thought you were a better person than that."

Piper took the harsh words like a slap to the face, because he'd thought he was a better person than that too. He blinked back tears. "I'm sorry I…I thought I was over him Michael, I really did. B-before we met, um, when I'd been living here before w-with James, I…Michael, I thought James was going to be my one, th-that he was going to be with me forever because he promised me that, um." Piper took a deep breath and swallowed. "But I had a mental breakdown and-"

"I know. I've seen you take the pills for it."

"R-right. He left me while I was in the hospital. So we never really broke up. I never had any closure. I never got to talk to him about why he left. I'm not trying to excuse what I did, because it was vile of me, but I want you to know that I wasn't trying to hurt you. I'm just really screwed up and I can't-I really am sorry." Piper dropped his head and took a few shaky breaths. He let out a surprised squeak when Michael walked up to him and gently touched his chin, tilting his face up.

He was crying too. "So I take it you are done with me this time?"

"Oh Michael, I like you so much. But I'm not in love with you."

Michael nodded. "I'd thought that might be the case. Well then." He sat down heavily, keeping some distance from Piper and staring straight ahead. "I don't think I'll be staying in Central City then."

"S-sorry-"

"Will you please stop apologizing? It's not bloody helping."

"R-right. I'm gonna go. Um…bye."

"Hartley, wait!" Michael got up and grabbed Piper's arm, turning him so that they were looking at each other. "Give this a few days and then call me. I don't want you out of my life entirely. You…you're worth it. All right?"

Piper nodded, though personally he thought the less they saw of each other the better off they'd both be. Still, Michael seemed satisfied with the nod so he was able to slip away.

***

"She left me for Chunk!"

Piper stared uncomprehendingly at his friend for a few minutes before silently stepping aside to let Wally in. To be fair, Wally looked as dazed as he did.

They both plopped down on Piper's couch. The coffee table was set up with a derby hat and a fresh deck of cards and Piper had just placed an order for pizza before Wally showed up.

Wally opened the deck, handed half the cards to Piper, and then started flicking them into the hat.

"So…Chunk?"

"Yep. Chunk. She said he understands her and listens to her and apparently I don't." Wally scowled, then turned to face Piper. "That's actually it, right? It can't be physical, right? Piper, this is the only time I'm ever gonna ask you to check me out, but please, tell me I'm better looking than Chunk!"

"Wally I promise you, you're much better looking than Chunk."

That seemed to calm him down some. "Kay. So how'd things go with Michael?"

"Not well. I'd rather not talk about it."

They kept flicking cards into the hat in silence for awhile, and though he couldn't figure out why, for some reason Piper was starting to feel better. It was kind of nice to have someone to wallow with.

After about five minutes or so of card flicking Wally finally spoke again. "So if you've still got sparks with your ex and you're done with Michael, does that mean you're gonna try to get back together with the other guy? What'd you say his name was?"

"James. And no. He…wasn't good for me." Well, they'd been fantastic together, but Piper couldn't let James back in. There was no way he could ever trust James with his heart like that again.

Wally scowled. "Least you've got the option of having somebody. I can't believe Chunk stole my girlfriend! Urgh, and you know what? My mom's getting remarried. My freaking mom is better at dating than I am, at her freaking age! Do you know how depressing that is?"

"Well tell her I said congratulations."

"Tell her yourself. She invited you to the wedding."

"Oh." For some reason Piper felt touched that Mrs. West had thought of him.

Wally snorted. "She invited Chunk too. I told her to uninvite his treacherous ass, but she flat out refused. Says that she's friends with him too, and it's my own damn fault for not taking better care of Connie. Which is rich coming from her, cause she _hated_ Connie. I think she just likes it when I'm miserable."

"Well, she is a mother."

They were interrupted by the arrival of the pizza. Piper managed to eat two slices before Wally finished off the rest of it. He reflected that if he spent more time with Wally he'd probably have a better short of staying on track with his diet.

Less than a year ago a breakup had thrown Piper's life into complete and utter disarray. While he sat on his living room floor munching on a pizza crust while Wally channel surfed, Piper reflected on how much difference one good friend made.

* * *

The wedding was awkward all around. Piper didn't see much of Wally, since he seemed to be flitting from disaster to disaster trying to keep things running smoothly. From the looks of it, Piper was in for some good stories later.

Michael came with Piper as his date. He'd have preferred to bring Jerrie, but since Michael was flying home the next morning this was pretty much their last chance to talk things out. Piper had said pretty much everything he planned on saying already, but he owed Michael as much closure as he needed. Piper knew from experience how much it hurt not to get your say out in a breakup.

So they smiled and pretended everything was fine and spoke to each other in quiet snatches here and there. Thankfully, most of the guests were distracted by the various other dramatic conflicts that seemed to be cropping up left and right (Piper did a double take when he saw Wally's 'dead' father escorting what looked like a gorgeous meta human prostitute), and most people were inclined to give the homosexuals a wide berth of space anyway.

"Huh. Can't believe Chunk had the nerve to show up _with_ Connie," Piper muttered, mostly to himself.

"Come again?" Michael asked.

"Oh, Connie was Wally's girlfriend up until a couple of days ago. Now she's dating one of his buddies instead. Kind of a bitchy move on her part…er…I'm going to shut up now."

Michael sighed. "We're not going to be able to remain friends, are we?"

"I'd like to." He didn't have many friends. He'd even lost touch with that socially awkward architect he used to be neighbors with, James something-or-other. Piper had tried looking James up when he'd moved back to Keystone, but the guy had moved while he was in New York, and since he couldn't even remember his last name he had no hopes of finding him again.

"I'll give it some time and give you a call."

"Do you really have to move back to England?" Piper asked, feeling a stab of guilt. "I thought you liked it here."

"I used to. But I've been getting more and more homesick the longer I'm here, and my mother's health has been getting poor." Michael frowned. "No, I think I'd be best off at home for awhile."

"Kay." At least Michael wasn't moving _just_ because of him.

Sometime after the double-ceremony (Mason and his girlfriend decided on an impromptu marriage as well), Wally caught Piper's eye and shot a confused look towards Michael. Sighing, Piper dragged his ex over for an introduction. Thankfully, Wally didn't say anything awkward, and rushed away to talk to his dad before Michael said anything bitter.

"Well, cake's been cut and they've played some cheesy music. I think things are winding down," Piper commented.

"Mm." Michael was gazing at the crowd with a wistful expression. "Sorry, what was that? I was a bit dazed for a moment there."

"I said I think things are winding down. I'm going to leave."

"Oh. Hartley…do you ever think about what it would be like to be, well, normal?"

Piper frowned. "Normal? What do you mean?"

Michael waved an arm at the guests, dancing the electric slide and stuffing their faces with cake, making awkward small talk with people they hardly knew but felt obligated to mix with. "Like them. Weddings, family obligations, things like that. Or are you actually content being a superhero?"

Ah. This was something he'd skillfully avoided talking about with Michael during their entire relationship. Michael was in his mid-thirties. He wanted to settle down, buy a house together, and have a commitment ceremony. He'd mentioned on their third date that he did ultimately want to move back to England, and if things got serious he wanted Piper to consider going with him. Things had gotten serious, but Piper had never once intended to do any of that.

He shouldn't have slept with James, but it was definitely a good thing they were breaking up.

"I like my life, Michael. Good luck finding a partner that suits your plans."

"Likewise. Goodbye, Piper."

Piper started for the exit and on his way out he caught sight of Wally sitting with that pretty reporter the boy sometimes complained about. Well that was promising.

* * *

Piper drove around aimlessly for awhile, wondering if this is what closure felt like, and if it was, why did he still feel so numb and achy inside? Maybe there just wasn't a good way to break up with someone after all. Still though, it could have been a lot worse. He'd lost control of his emotions and had them careen out of control. Just feeling a little down was plenty preferable to that. He'd go home, pick out a flute or a pipe, and play something sad and wistful until he felt better.

Those plans were derailed entirely when he pulled into the driveway and saw James sitting on his front stoop. Piper was tempted to reverse and drive right back to the wedding, but those were airwalker boots on James' feet so there wasn't much point. He'd just follow him anyway.

Piper got out and walked up to his ex. "What are you doing here?"

"Changing tactics," James answered bluntly. "Can we talk?"

"Does it honestly matter what I say? If I say 'go away' you're just going to ignore me again."

"No, Piper, I'm not. I haven't been acting very respectful about your feelings and I'm sorry." James stood up and hung his head remorsefully. "I shouldn't have interrupted you when you were with your sister, and I probably should have realized sleeping with you was only going to get you more pissy in the morning. Sorry."

Piper chewed his lip. "James, I don't want to date again. Even if there weren't all kinds of issues between us at the moment, I'm just not in a good place for it."

"I know. I'm gonna stop trying to seduce you. Can we be friends though?" There was something remarkably sincere about James' hopeful expression. It reminded Piper strongly of when they'd first started hanging out, back when he'd been dating Earl. The déjà vu was eerie.

"I have a feeling I'm going to regret this, but yes. I'd like to be friends. I…I do miss you."

James smiled. "I miss you too, obviously. Okay, so you are totally not going to regret this. So phase one of our newly rekindled friendship states that we should probably only hang out in large groups for now. One on one time's probably going to be awkward."

Piper nodded his agreement.

"So I was thinking, either you can start coming around to Rogues poker nights again-"

"That's not an option."

James paused, eyeing Piper with some curiosity. He was just a beat too long with it, though (Piper had dated James long enough to know his habits, and he could tell when he was acting unnaturally, IE trying to hide something). Did he know about Blacksmith…?

"Kay, so if you're not gonna hang with me and the guys…" James said slowly. "I suppose the other option is for me to start hanging with you and Flashypants junior."

"He's the Flash now James, not Flash junior."

James snorted. "That _kid_ is always going to be Flash junior to me."

"You know I'd thought so too, but he's actually doing rather well as Flash."

"I find that very hard to believe. But if y'wanna go grab some food at a nice crowded public place with me I'll give you a chance to make your case with as many anecdotes as you'd like," James offered.

"Sure, sounds good. I'll start with the Comforter. That was the first crook Wally and I took down together…"

* * *

It had been almost a year since Piper had been released from Breedmore Mental Hospital. In that time he'd lost an arch nemesis, gained a best friend, switched sides, reconciled with his family, learned the extent of his feelings for them by having them threatened, done something he'd never expected himself to do in a moment of weakness, and learned that he was strong enough to forgive himself and move on.

As he sat with James in a sub shop listening to stories of his adventures out in California, he thought about how funny it was that all those months ago the only thing he'd wanted was to be with this man. And now that he had James back in a sense, as a friend, he really could take him or leave him.

'Oh who am I kidding?' Piper thought, gazing into those crystal blue eyes and laughing at a joke that wasn't even funny. Just like old times.

It was nice to have friends.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ended this fic by very closely following the events of Flash #61. It was William Messner-Loeb's last issue writing Flash, so it seemed like a fitting stopping point. He's my favorite Flash writer, hands down. He's the one who decided to give Piper a personality, so he's the reason Piper reformed, became a social activist, and came out as gay, all character developments I'm excessively fond of. For some stupid reason his work hasn't been collected into trades, but it's totes worth tracking down in single issue format, I promise.
> 
> I'll start posting the next installment of the series soonish :)


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